Murphy's Law
by Within the Stars
Summary: Murphy's Law is a simple enough concept. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. And there are so many things that can go wrong, but just as many that can go right. "Magnus had never even realized he was lonely until suddenly he wasn't." All-Human.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'm in the process of rewriting these first few chapters since I first wrote them months ago and I think my writing style has changed since then. If you want, just skip to chp 4, you'll catch on. If you're willing to struggle ****through the first of this, then be my guest.**

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><p>He was two when his baby sister was born, and he was five when he was trusted to hold her for the first time. They named her Isabelle Sophia, but he called her Izzy. In return, she swapped his "Alexander" for "Alec." She was independent from the start, and he was content to hang back and watch while she did her thing. Rejecting boys left and right, flirting and stomping over their hearts in high heeled boots.<p>

Because no matter who she kissed or what friends she made, she never forgot him. She'd look over her shoulder and throw him a smile and drag him shopping and bribe him into doing her biology homework while she painted her nails.

When he was nine, his younger brother Max came into the world, and Alec promised himself he would be the best big brother ever. And if that included reading to him each night, then that's what he would do. He walked him to the comic book shop and answered his questions and laid a blanket over him when he fell asleep somewhere other than his bed.

At eleven years old, a boy named Jonathan came to live with them. Alec had only met him a couple times; their dads were close friends. When his dad died, he was left in the custody of the Lightwoods. Jonathan preferred to be called Jace, and he was a year younger than Alec. The two boys hated each other at first. Jace thought Alec was shy and weird and teased him, Alec thought Jace was a jerk and ignored him. Then little pre-teen Alec had enough and punched the blond in the face. Maryse was horrified when she finally tore apart the bleeding boys, but they just grinned at each other and blurted out some ridiculous story about how Alec fell down the stairs and Jace ran to help him and also fell. Never mind the fact that they were both on the top floor.

But Alec Lightwood was an observer through and through. While his parents were jetting off on business trips and his sister was climbing to the top of the social ladder and Jace was becoming a star athlete and Max was taking apart Nintendos with a screwdriver, he simply watched.

Maybe it was time he stopped watching and started living.

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><p>Jace peaked around the corner into the hallway. "She still getting ready?" He asked, handing Alec his black bag.<p>

Just as he was about to reply, Isabelle swept out of her room, purse in hand and looking runway-ready. "Come on, let's go," she urged, as if she wasn't the one they'd been waiting for the past half hour.

Knowing better than to argue this early in the morning, Alec double checked that he had his keys and wallet before herding his siblings out the door. He handed Isabelle an energy bar and a bottle of water outside, and she threw an arm around him and started babbling about "This is why you're my favorite brother."

Jace, of course, couldn't let that slide and the two of them ended up arguing the entire way to school.

Raziel Academy was made up of a huge, towering building that divided its students into three age groups. It boasted high education standards, well-rounded students and a ridiculous tuition fee. _Nothing but the best for Manhattan's Upper East Side residents_, Alec thought sarcastically.

Max was the first one to run off. He was excited about finally being in fourth grade and immediately went to find his friends. Alec saw him nearly run into Tiberius and Livia, the Blackthorn twins. His glasses were about to fall off his face but he was still smiling.

Izzy gave him a rushed kiss on the cheek before running in the direction of her own class. Alec was amazed she could even in _walk_ in heels like that.

Jace appeared to be keeping up his reputation for being late. He didn't bother hurrying, he just entered the building with slow, calm steps. At this point they were going to have to create some sort of award for him. There was no way anyone could be late that many times without putting in some effort.

Alec managed to sneak into class just as the teacher was starting roll call. Whoever decided to make Spanish his first period was clearly out to get him. He was constantly butchering the language, screwing up the grammar and forgetting verbs. He'd take math over foreign languages any day.

A familiar arm nudged him gently. "Are you okay, Alec?"

He must have been frowning again. He did that sometimes without realizing. Izzy once said he had Resting Bitchface. For that, he made sure to wake up early for a month just to use up all the hot water. He turned to his desk partner and forced a half smile. "Yeah. Just stressed, I suppose. Senior year and all that."

Aline nodded sympathetically. "Trust me, I get it. It's only the second day and I'm already regretting choosing AP classes."

Alec liked Aline. She was a lot like him, preferring to stay in the background of things as opposed to his siblings. She was nearly as honest as Jace - who was brutally truthful - and was easy to talk to. She didn't pry or make a big deal out of everything, and she didn't mind it when their conversations were most one-sided. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she was definitely striking with half-Asian features and round dark eyes. Her hair was pin straight and black, and she was petite. But he knew not to let her looks fool him; she could probably take Isabelle in a fight - and that was saying a lot.

Alec just shrugged. He'd never been very good at socializing, mostly because things people expected a response to didn't register with him.

Aline raised one sharp eyebrow. "Can I see your schedule?" He handed it over without protesting. He'd memorized it the day before. "Oh Alec." She tsked lightly. "I can quite honestly say you're going to die this year."

He rolled his eyes even as he kept his gaze focused straight ahead.

"Oh, and by the way, one of your friends tried to set me up with you again."

Alec snorted softly, nothing more than sharp exhale. There were _so_ many reasons why he and Aline would never work.

She shot him a grin and said with false regret, "No offense, but you're still not my type."

"None taken," he said under his breath.

Anyone else wouldn't have understood why it was funny. He and Aline both were shoved so far back in the closet that they couldn't even find the door. Not to mention, Alec harbored a shameful fondness for Jace - his _brother_. Sure, he was adopted, but it still applied. Brothers weren't supposed to feel about their brothers that way. Aline was the only one who knew, and it wasn't because he told her willingly.

Aline knew better than to tease Alec about it. He practically went into shock whenever anyone even said the word 'gay.' She was more comfortable with it, willing to make jokes, even if she was still keeping it a secret.

"Miss Penhallow, please stop distracting Mr. Lightwood and pay attention," the teacher barked from the front of the classroom.

Aline only rolled her eyes dramatically and plastered on a saccharine smile. "Of course."

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><p>Magnus's life had become a little too routine.<p>

Sure, it was a pretty good life even if it was a little uneventful as of late. He had an apartment to himself, his friends were great, and his cat had stopped trying to kill him. But even Magnus couldn't fix a terminal case of boring. He was quite convinced he was the most interesting person he knew, and as such he needed some excitement in his life.

This didn't count.

Camille, in all her beauty and grace, was a model. The kind that made married men drool and hand over their credit cards and the keys to their vacation homes in the Hamptons. And as a model, she was granted entrance to the best parties the city had to offer. Tonight she had dragged Magnus along.

Perhaps dragged wasn't the right word. He had come along willingly enough, but just a half an hour into the party he was ready to leave.

"Okay, I agree that this isn't the _best_ party, but we can still have fun. What about her? She's been checking you out since you walked in...Ooh, or him? He looks interested."

Magnus was only half paying attention, but Camille never required much prompting to keep talking. She adored the sound of her own voice almost as much as she enjoyed looking in the mirror.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Cam," he said, "but not tonight, okay? You can throw twinks and models at me some other night."

Camille accepted that without question, only shrugging delicately and saying, "I'll hold you to that." Then she deftly grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and downed it like a shot. Apparently she was buzzed enough to take pity on him. "I won't torture you any more. You can leave if you want."

"How gracious of you," he drawled sarcastically, but she was already halfway across the room.

Magnus didn't bother saying goodbye to anybody; he was only here for Camille anyway. When he stepped outside, he inhaled deeply, then immediately regretted it. It was a Saturday night in New York City, where drunken partiers had puked on the sidewalks and probably a stray cat or two had pissed on the curb. The cool air did feel good though.

With another deep breath - because why not? - and a smile, he started walking.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I know the chapters are a little short, but they will get longer in the future.**

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><p>Magnus kind of loved September in some strange, inexplicable way. Maybe it was just the calmness of it. Summer was over, and as much as he enjoyed the season, everything that came with it usually exhausted him. September was the lull between chaos - after summer and before the hectic holiday months began, with events like Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.<p>

He liked September.

Not only did it give him a small chance to relax, but the weather was absolutely perfect. It wasn't unseasonably cold or unbearably hot, and the occasional rain wasn't a bother. There was usually a cool, brisk breeze to accompany his late-night walks or other escapades. It was refreshing, a month spent gearing up for whatever lay ahead.

He languidly stretched out on the bed, arms above his head and back arched. Once he felt the satisfying crack of his joints, he snuggled back into his sheets, a tranquil calm permeating the flat.

Then the intercom buzzed. And again. And again.

He groaned as he left his warm sanctuary and answered the annoying intercom with an irked, "_What?_"

"Let me up," a familiar voice requested - although it was more of a demand. Camille. He should have guessed it.

He wanted to argue and leave her out there until she gave up and went away, but it would be quicker to just get it over with. He pressed the button to let her in and quickly threw on a black robe over his green pajama pants. He opened the door just as she came up the last step.

Camille perched herself daintily on the couch while Magnus stayed standing. He leaned against the wall, thinking to himself that it was far too early to be even semi-upright.

"What do you want?"

Camille was quite possibly the worst and best friend one could have. She was the type to exact revenge on anyone who screwed you over, but also the same person to callously tell you when you were being stupid. She would wake you up early and keep you out late, listen to your problems and leave in the middle of a sentence if she got bored. She didn't pretend to like people she didn't and wasn't shy about letting them know it either. In a way, she was a total bitch, but she was fiercely loyal to the people she deemed worthy of her time.

But right now, her habit of skirting around topics and playing verbal games was testing his patience. Maybe that was the reason they never worked out as a couple.

"So straightforward," she mused. "Could it be that I'm not welcome?" She smiled slowly, only the smallest curling of the corners of her mouth.

"What do you want?" He repeated, his patience quickly fading.

"What do _you_ want?" She fired back.

He blinked, not expecting that particular reply. Not to mention the massive confusion he was experiencing. Camille seemed to enjoy his stunned expression - it was good to know she was getting some sort of entertainment out of this.

"I'm sorry, _what?_"

Camille sighed in disappointment, as if she expected him to know what she was talking about. "You've been behaving differently. Before, there was no chance of you leaving a party early, much less _alone_," she said the words as if it were truly unbelievable. "Have you even gotten laid in the past month?"

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how that's any of your business." However, that kind of questioning was typical of the people he chose to spend time with. His friends didn't have any off-limits topics or concept of privacy.

Camille stayed silent, sending back a challenging stare.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have." It may or may not have been a lie.

She looked somewhat satisfied with his response. "Then what's wrong, Magnus? Are you dating someone that I don't know about?"

"I'm not dating anyone. It's just...I don't know," he sighed, giving in and letting his shoulders slump. "I feel _old_. Tired. Like it's all becoming tedious and meaningless," he mused aloud. He didn't originally intend to tell anyone that, but now that someone was offering to listen he couldn't help but talk.

"Like what is?"

Magnus shrugged. "Life."

"That's a little depressing," she remarked offhandedly.

"I never said it wasn't." What did she expect? He was a writer. Depressing philosophy kind of came with the territory.

Camille suddenly stood up. She walked over to him, heels clicking against the wooden floors. "You're okay though?"

He nodded.

"Then I'll stop bothering you - for now. Maybe a break would do you some good. Although for the record, you're twenty five, Magnus, that's hardly old," she said with a roll of her doe-like green eyes.

Magnus cracked a grin. "Good. Now get the hell out of my flat."

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><p>Alec kind of hated September. He couldn't explain why; he just did. Maybe it was because that was the month school started, when summer ended and teachers insisted on throwing as much homework at them as they could. Maybe it was because it was the prelude to the holiday season - which, despite whatever Izzy said, didn't make him a Scrooge. He had just come to the conclusion at a young age that holidays were more stress than they were worth, and someone always ended up disappointed.<p>

Or maybe it was because of his birthday.

Alec wasn't one for attention. He avoided it at all costs. So it stood to reason that he wouldn't be overly fond of a day where it was practically required he be shoved into the spotlight.

None of his siblings understood his aversion, even if they respected it. Jace soaked up attention like a sponge, Isabelle reveled in the stares she garnered, and even Max enjoyed celebrating with presents and ice cream.

Personally, he thought it was some kind of omen that he was born on the 13th - sure, he may not have been born on a Friday, but thirteen was still an unlucky number by itself. Maybe he'd been doomed since birth because of that. It would explain a lot.

At least he had the soccer game tonight to look forward to.

"So I was thinking of asking Coach if we could move Lee to defense, but then that leaves us without a back up keeper and Chris's shoulder is still - hey man, are you listening?" Jordan kicked him.

Alec jumped like someone had stunned him with a taser, blinking rapidly. Sometimes when people were talking to him, his thoughts went off in different directions. Not everyone understood that he could zone out and pay attention at the same time. "Yeah, yeah. Lee defense, Chris's shoulder, et cetera. I can keep if you think Chris can't play."

Tall, brown-skinned and dark-haired, Jordan Kyle had his fair amount of admirers. Much to the dismay of the female population, he was completely and utterly devoted to his girlfriend, Maia. He and Alec weren't the only seniors on the soccer team, but they were co-captains. Alec got along with most of guys on the team, but he was pleasantly surprised by the other boy's calm nature.

Tilting his head to one side, he slowly nodded. "Yeah that could work. It should be a pretty easy game and Chris needs to take a break. You cool with filling in?"

Alec nodded, eyes flickering around. "Yeah, it's no problem." He used to play goalie until one of his junior club coaches had put him onto the field and found out he was much more adept there.

"Great. Hey, have you seen Maia around?"

Alec liked Jordan's girlfriend maybe more than him. She reminded him of Izzy, even though the two girls were practically complete opposites. She was funny and enthusiastic, and she found Alec's bluntness amusing rather than rude. Like her boyfriend, she was very laid-back and content to let the people around her do their own thing.

"Last I saw she was talking to Bat," Alec said, nodding toward the huge football player behind Jordan. Sure enough, Maia was with him, looking laughably tiny next to his six and half feet. If Alec had never talked to him before, he might've found him intimidating, but the truth was that Bat got along with almost everyone. Not Jace though. Jace had a penchant for offending people without half trying.

"Thanks. See you later." Jordan loped over to the pair, startling Maia when he closed his hands over her eyes. Alec snickered as one of her flailing arms caught him across the face.

Alec felt a new body standing beside him, then he heard, "One of these days, Jordan's gonna learn not to do that."

Aline was sporting a small smile when he looked over. She held up one finger then started digging through her bag. "Here. Happy birthday."

It was book. Unwrapped but with a silver bow stuck on the cover last minute. It was a new copy of the one he'd seen her reading the week before. "Thanks," he said sincerely, slipping the gift into his bag. It never failed to surprise him when someone bothered to remember something as trivial as his birthday.

"It's the least I can do considering you won't let your sister throw you a party," Aline said with a shrug. "Seriously, your parents leave you the house all to yourselves and not one of you throws a party? I'm a bit disappointed."

"Izzy prefers attending over hosting. Then she doesn't have to clean up the mess," he told her.

Aline giggled. "Smart girl." Her eyes widened like she'd just remembered something. "Hey, have you talked to the new girl yet?"

No, he hadn't. But Alec was well aware of who she was talking about. A redhead girl named Clarissa Fray was the school's newest junior, attending on a scholarship, and according to Isabelle - the only one of his siblings who'd officially met her - she was the stepdaughter of Luke Garroway, Alec's English teacher.

Alec knew all of this, but he just shook his head.

"I did. Obviously I don't have any classes with her, but Helen and I ran into her outside the art classroom. She's really good. Kind of shy, but she seems okay," Aline informed him, going a bit glassy-eyed at the mention of Helen. Helen Blackthorn was Alec's age, and she had been publicly bisexual since her freshmen year. According to Aline, the second she worked up the courage, she was going to come out to her parents then find Helen and kiss her.

People told Alec a lot of things without thinking twice. Izzy, Jace, Aline, Jordan, Maia. He found it interesting, if a little strange. Of course he would never tell anyone's secrets, but they didn't know that. It was kind of funny how freely people talked around him. Maybe it was because he didn't say much, and they felt the need to compensate.

"Sometimes I wonder what you're thinking up in there." Aline tapped his head with a slender finger - after standing on the tips of her toes. The comment wasn't unusual. She had made similar ones before, saying that whenever he was thinking he got a certain look on his face. He'd have to take her word for it.

But all he murmured was "So do I."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I kind of bounce around between different perspectives in this chapter, so I'm sorry if it's confusing. But yeah, you get Jace, Izzy, Magnus and Alec all in one chapter. And it's a bit longer than the first two.**

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><p>There was a fight.<p>

_How exciting_, she mentally drawled.

Isabelle had nothing against fighting, because sometimes a cute guy punching something was unbelievably hot, but could whoever it was at least have the courtesy to _not_ block the lockers?

A ring of students crowded around the fight, staring in sheep-like amazement. Isabelle sighed. She was bored, and she thought about leaving, but on a whim she craned her neck and stood on her toes to see what was going on. She saw two blonde heads, one nearly white and both attached to an athletic body. Just as she recognized them, someone else pushed their way through the students.

If Alec's last name didn't stop people from arguing with him, then the look on his face did the trick. The one that said he'd throttle anyone who got in his way. He didn't hesitate to pull apart the two brawling boys, even if it get him an elbow to the face. One was Jace, the other Sebastian. She shuddered when she saw the latter's black eyes.

Maia materialized by her side, looking perfectly at ease in camo pants and a black t-shirt. Isabelle wasn't all that fond of her, simply because they had nothing in common, but Alec liked hanging out with her. And she would tolerate a lot more than Maia Roberts for her brother's sake.

"Alec was pretty pissed when he heard," the other girl said, remarkably unconcerned. "You might want to warn your brother that one day Alec's gonna kill him out of sheer annoyance."

Isabelle's lips twitched at that, but she kept her eyes straight ahead.

"Alec, what the fuck?" Jace exclaimed, shoving his brother hard enough to make him stumble.

With a glare that could make a lesser man shrivel up, Alec pushed back. Jace's back hit the metal lockers with the loud thud. "Just be quiet for ten seconds, Jace." Alec turned to Sebastian, not quite able to stop glowering just yet. The two older boys weren't exactly friends, but they had a mutual semi-camaderie for convenience's sake. "I'm sorry about Jace. He'll apologize later."

"Like hell I will!"

Jace was ignored. Sebastian scoffed; he looked like he'd rather finish the fight. "Yeah whatever. I'll see you later, Wayland," he spat in Jace's direction.

Seeing that the bloodshed was over, the crowd dispersed. Maia threw Alec a curious glance before following. Isabelle stayed, but she kept quiet. She was smart enough to realize that her usual quips wouldn't be appreciated. Then Alec rounded on Jace. "What were you thinking?"

"That Morgenstern is an idiot who needs help tying his own shoes?" Jace offered. He was as relaxed as ever, meeting Alec's hard gaze with a cool indifference.

"You can't just start a fight whenever you see him. He's a senior, Jace, you're going to get yourself into trouble."

Jace smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I could take him. And his friends," he added.

"Then how about mom and dad? If you get suspended, the school will have to call them." At that Jace's face paled. The thought of their parents coming home early because one of them got in trouble was scary, even to Isabelle. Especially when her mother pulled the _I'm not mad, I'm disappointed line_. That was worse than the yelling.

Jace may not have been their biological son, but their parents didn't cut him any slack.

"Look, I don't care whether you apologize or not," Alec said in exasperation. "But next time, just walk away."

Jace didn't exactly look eager to take his advice - and he probably wouldn't - but he nodded anyway. He sounded irritated when he spoke. "Fine. I'll be home later, I'm going to take a walk." As he walked away, he met Isabelle's eyes. To her annoyance, she saw pity in them. At least now she had an idea of what the fight was about.

She plastered a wide smile on her face. "So since Jace isn't coming with us can we go get sushi?" Jace hated sushi with a passion and always threw a fit every time she even mentioned it. Alec didn't much care one way or another, so if it was just the two of them he usually indulged her.

Alec was leaning against the lockers, eyes closed and hands folded on his head. At her words he slowly peeled open his eyelids, revealing bottle blue eyes. He didn't say anything.

Isabelle mulled it over, then walked up to Alec and kicked him in the shin.

Alec blinked, like he was only just realizing she was there. "_Ow_." His expression very clearly said: _What was that for?_

She asked, "You okay?" She might have been laughing as she said it, but he understood that she was serious.

He nodded quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, just tired. Come on, let's get out of here."

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><p>"-so he starts dive-bombing the nurses with the toy helicopter. The damn blades got caught in my hair!" Catarina exclaimed.<p>

Magnus chuckled and took another sip of wine. "Oh give the kid a break, Kitty Cat." She glared at him for the unwanted nickname. _It was out of affection, damn it, why couldn't she see that?_ "Being in a hospital can be traumatizing."

The look she gave him was withering. "He had his appendix taken out. That's hardly life-threatening."

Tessa's, on the other hand, was contemplative. "Wasn't the last time you were in a hospital just to hit on a cute doctor you met?"

He rolled his eyes. "I never said _I_ was traumatized."

"Well hold on a second, maybe we should listen to Tess," Ragnor said, inviting himself into the conversation. "You being traumatized would explain a lot. Your need for attention, your inability to be quiet."

Magnus opened his mouth to protest only to be cut off by Catarina.

"Don't forget about his smoking."

"I quit years ago, so that's-"

"Oh, and his unhealthy codependence?"

"Codependent, my ass. I happen to be the most independent per-"

"And how he actually thinks he's a good singer? I've heard dying walruses with a better voice."

"How dare you. I sing like an angel." Tessa giggled; Catarina and Ragnor gave him matching smirks. "God, I hate all of you," he declared.

Checking her watch, Catarina said, "We can continue making fun of Magnus later. I have to go pick up my nephew from school."

Ragnor asked, "Is this the same nephew who goes to that private school in Manhattan? The one with the weird name where all the rich people send their brats?"

She nodded. "Raziel Academy," she told him. "Unfortunately, that's the one. My sister thought it'd be good for him."

"Yes, because that's a good way to make sure he doesn't end up spoiled and arrogant," Magnus drawled.

"You're one talk about arrogance," Ragnor snorted.

"I'll have you know I am exactly the right amount of arrogant, thank you."

Catarina rolled her eyes and took her leave. A minute later, Tessa stood up, talking about how Will would be home soon and she left Jamie with a babysitter. Even Ragnor had a date with some girl he met at work.

Magnus stayed and brooded for about ten minutes before deciding that drinking alone was a level of pitiful that he wasn't willing to explore. Sure, it was a little strange staying in the same place when all his friends were furthering their careers and getting married and whatnot, but he could still have fun.

Maybe he'd throw a party.

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><p>After Jace had stalked off, he decided to just stick around the school for a while. He didn't want to go home yet and as tempted as he was to go find Sebastian and finish what they started, he knew Alec would eventually hear about it. Still. It might be worth it.<p>

He wandered around for a few minutes, trying to calm down and failing. "Fuck!" He yelled, whirling around and slamming his fist into the nearest thing. Which happened to be a locker.

He was still angry about Sebastian and angry that Alec ended the fight before he could strangle the guy. He had never met anyone who was so adept at pissing him off before Sebastian Morgenstern. It's like the guy didn't even have to try - just walk into Jace's line of sight. Of course, the feeling might have been mutual. Although, if more people were aware of what Sebastian was like, they might be tempted to punch him in the face too.

Maybe if Alec knew what Sebastian was really like, off the basketball court or outside of class, he wouldn't have stopped Jace. Hell, he probably would've joined him.

Jace heard faint music coming from an open door a few rooms down. Curious, he ducked into the room. A girl with red braids was standing in front of an easel, paintbrush in hand. She turned to look when he came in.

She quirked an eyebrow. "You're not Simon."

He was amused enough to answer. "No, my name is-"

"Jonathan. I know who you are." She blushed, then added, "People talk about you and your friends. I was just expecting my friend Simon."

"I prefer Jace, actually. Who are you?" He knew a lot people around here, but he didn't know her. She looked familiar enough; he had probably seen her briefly in passing.

She wiped a hand on her smock and offered it to him with a kind smile. "Clary Fray."

Then it clicked. She was the new girl everyone was talking about. _Wow, she was tiny_, he thought. He took the proffered hand and kissed the back of it with a lavish gesture, noticing that instead of a rosy blush and shy smile he was expecting, he got an eye roll and her pulling her hand away.

"What are you painting?"

Just as he was about to get a reply, a knock sounded. A guy stood in the doorway, looking awkward and nervous in glasses and unruly brown hair. He was wearing a red gamer t-shirt. This time Jace knew he had seen him before. He'd probably been at this school as long as Jace had even if they'd never talked. "Clary?"

"Oh, hi Simon! You made it. You said wanted to show me a new song you wrote?"

The guy - Simon - had a guitar case slung across his back. He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah..." He looked at Jace with brown eyes, clearly waiting for something.

"I'll take this as my cue to leave," Jace announced, knowing that he was making the other teenager uncomfortable. Frankly he didn't care, but he would rather leave of his own accord than wait for Clary or her friend to ask him. He looked at the redhead one last smile, giving a crooked smile. "Maybe I'll see you around, Clary."

"Maybe." She smiled to herself, like she knew something he didn't.

Even long after he left, he was walking up the street to his house, he felt better. Calmer. As if exchanging a couple words with a short girl he didn't know had made him feel like everything would okay.

"Jace is that you?" Isabelle peeked around the corner into the entryway. "Did you walk home?"

"Yeah." He shrugged off his jacket and carefully hung up on the coatrack by the door. He liked his things neat and in their designated place.

"You okay?"

From the look she was giving him, she wasn't oblivious to what the fight with Sebastian had been about. Isabelle was a smart girl. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. Did something happen? You look..."

"Devilishly attractive? Extraordinarily gorgeous?" He offered with his usual sarcastic wit.

"Peaceful," Isabelle finished.

"Well they say the key to inner peace is-"

"Oh shut up," she retorted. "I should've known by now that it's impossible to have a real conversation with you."

"Love you too, Iz."

* * *

><p>Whenever Alec was stressed, he read. When he was annoyed with Jace for getting in a fight, he read. When he was worried about Isabelle going out at all hours of the night, he read. When he was tired of schoolwork or felt like his brain was being put through a blender while talking with his mother or when he was reminded that Jace would only ever think of him as a brother, he read.<p>

Alec read a lot.

He kind of wanted to start the book Aline had given him for his birthday, but he was already in the middle of a different one. He couldn't stand starting another book before finishing the first. He couldn't tell you why it bothered him, it just did.

Sprawled out on the couch, Alec was just about to turn the page when he heard heels clicking against the door. He automatically glanced at the clock; it was past two in the morning.

"Did you just get home?" He asked as his sister turned the corner.

"Obviously," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Look, I'm home safe and sober. Isn't that all you wanted?" He didn't reply, but she must have been irritated at someone because she just carried on. "You don't have to always wait up for me, Alec. You're not my dad so don't try and parent me."

He winced, and she saw, but she just kept walking.

Alec turned the page.

A few hours later when Isabelle came into the kitchen for breakfast, she made a beeline for him. She hugged him and said she was sorry, and he put a second bagel in the toaster for her, shrugging and telling her it was nothing.

Alec never tried to stop her from going out or dating. He didn't tell her what to do, but he would always be there for her if she needed him. He didn't tell her this, but he did roll his eyes when she suggested he go with her to a party next week.

* * *

><p><strong>Did anyone else ever have fight week at their high school? Like where for one week there would be a fight every day? Or was my school just incredibly violent?<strong>

**Anyway, please follow and review. Tell me what you thought of the chapter and what I can improve on to make it more enjoyable for you to read.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This chapter is entirely from Magnus's perspective, but I already have part of Alec's POV written so if anyone is interested in reading that too, tell me in a review or PM and I'll add it in.**

* * *

><p>It started with a party.<p>

Later, he would think it fitting. After all, meeting someone new, someone who would go on to become so irrevocably fundamental in his life, well, that called for celebration. Although if he were being honest, it started before the party. Personally, he liked that story - the full story - much better. He was never one for the idyllic scenarios, or coincidences for that matter.

So, in all truthfulness, it started with a hangover.

Magnus didn't make a habit of being in a bad mood. He usually made a conscious effort to be friendly and sociable, but then again he also didn't make a habit of drinking himself into a blackout. Especially not by himself. There was little that was more sad and pathetic than getting drunk alone.

But lo and behold, all it took was a single letter in a harmless white envelope for him to break out the bottles. The good stuff too. He may be sad and pathetic and drinking alone, but he wasn't about to subject himself to cheap liquor.

In conclusion, it went without saying that he wasn't in a pleasant mood when he arrived at the coffee shop. After finding his apartment empty of coffee - and food for that matter - he was forced to venture outside for his caffeine fix.

He flinched behind his dark sunglasses, the overhead lighting in the shop enough to make him wish his head would just explode already so the pain could be over with. The rest of the patrons would just have to find a way to deal with the splattered brain matter.

…

_Okay, note to self, don't think about splattered body parts when already nauseous_.

The next few minutes were kind of hazy. He vaguely remembered ordering a drink with a possibly illegal amount of espresso shots in it and the pretty barista giving him a concerned/"whatever, freak" look as a result.

Then - finally - he was given the drink, handcrafted by the gods and mankind's sole salvation.

Coffee.

Jesus fuck, he was hungover not high. "Get it together," he mumbled under his breath. _And stop talking to yourself while you're at it. _Usually he had Chairman Meow for this sort of thing. It made him feel a lot his crazy if he was talking to something animate, even if it was a cat.

Then, someone bumped into him.

He just barely avoided having coffee spilled down his front. It was the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that was his bad morning. Although a sundae wasn't really such a good metaphor for a bad morning, unless you were lactose intolerant.

"God damn it," he swore, staring sadly down at his spilled drink.

"Sorry," another voice said, drawing Magnus's attention to the accursed Coffee-Spiller. "Let me buy you another." It was a man, his voice soft but deep, the kind of voice that would be good for public speaking or reading aloud. He ran a hand through his hair - a nervous habit, Magnus guessed. The black color stood in stark contrast against his pale skin. Blue eyes peeked out from underneath the chaotic locks, and any other day Magnus might have been more forgiving, even flirted with this man a bit.

But he was severely hungover, so instead he just glared and growled, "No thanks."

The man (Boy? He looked about the right age for a university student.) just rolled his eyes to hide his surprise. "Fine. Whatever, asshole."

Even as Magnus stalked off, he mentally applauded the stranger for his retort. He had pegged him as the quiet type but there he was insulting random men. He must have been a native New Yorker, he thought with a snort.

Maybe he should have given him his number.

* * *

><p>This really wasn't Magnus's week.<p>

Yesterday he had a hangover and ran into a gorgeous stranger and didn't even make a pass at him, and today he was stuck with best friend obligations. Sometimes he hated being such a nice person.

It wasn't even _fair_. Catarina had asked him for this favor while he was drunk, and therefore unable to make an informed decision. Next time there would be lawyers involved, he vowed. But for today, he was stuck picking up her nephew from school.

He was walking with little nine year old Tyler back to his car when he saw him.

He stopped in his tracks, distantly aware of Tyler tugging on his jeans and asking why they stopped. He blinked once, twice, three times. It couldn't be…But it was.

The man from outside the coffee shop. He was talking amiably with a young, dark-haired boy who looked about seven. He laughed, and Magnus was momentarily stunned by the transformation. His entire face brightened, and he looked so unbelievably happy that it was impossible to stop a smile of his own from making an appearance.

"Why are you looking at Max?"

"Hmm?" He snapped out of his reverie and looked down. "Who's Max?"

"My friend. The one with the glasses over there," Tyler said, pointing in the direction Magnus had been staring.

"I just…I thought I recognized the man with him. Do you know him?"

Tyler shrugged. "No. He's probably his dad or something. He's always here to take Max home."

A kid, huh? Magnus supposed he had guessed his age wrong. He could have sworn he wasn't older than twenty, but then again Magnus had been told he didn't look his age either.

He stubbornly pushed away the thoughts.

"So, am I taking you to Cat's place or your mom's?"

* * *

><p>Nothing completed the month of September like a good party.<p>

Magnus smiled behind the rim of his cup, more than a little proud of the event. He had to admit, it was one of his better parties. He should circulate flyers more often.

He stood with Camille near the door, not so close that they were in the way of everyone who came and went, but near enough so he could keep an eye on who had come and greet certain friends.

Then a girl came in. She drew his attention immediately, although he couldn't quite say why.

She looked oddly familiar, like he had seen her somewhere before. It didn't take long for others to notice her either. Objectively, she was beautiful. Her hair was long, sleek, and black as midnight. Her dress was tight and short, showcasing her long legs and flat stomach. Her makeup wasn't heavy, but she wasn't the type who needed it.

"Cam," he said lowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the girl. "Who is she?"

He didn't personally know everyone who showed up at these parties, but if he didn't then they were a friend of a friend or someone whose name he could find out just by asking anyone around him.

Camille opened her mouth to reply then closed it without saying a word. She tilted her head to the side, just as confused as he was. "I have no idea. She looks a bit young to be here, yes?"

Magnus watched as she slipped into the crowd of dancers. She would have easily been able to get lost if she didn't stand out so conspicuously. Sure, she danced like a usual and she dressed like a usual and was already flirting and socializing like a usual. She even accepted a drink and knocked it back in one go, just like an experienced partier.

"Yes," he murmured. "She does."

She did look very young. Saying she was nineteen would be a push. If he had to guess he'd put her as a couple years less than that.

"You want me to get someone to escort her out?" Camille asked.

He shook his head. "No. She's not causing any trouble."

He definitely didn't encourage teenagers to crash his parties, but he'd be a bit of hypocrite if he got on everyone who partook in underage drinking. And it was true, she wasn't doing any harm by being here and she fit in well enough.

He cleared his throat and took a long swing from his drink. His eyes flickered to the door and he grinned. "Malcolm!" He called, gesturing for his friend with a jerk of his head. "Glad you could make it."

* * *

><p>"Yeah, I know, I know, but everyone has to leave. This isn't a bloody bed and breakfast," he said with a roll of his eyes as he waved the last of the guests out the door to building. They never left without the customary disgruntled grumbling.<p>

Usually after this part he would go back upstairs, lock his door, and collapse in his bed on top of all the covers. Then he'd wake up a few hours later, still tired but happy and hopefully hangover free.

But this time, something slightly altered his plans. Or rather, someone.

It was the girl from before. It was clear that she was absolutely wasted from the way she stumbled in her sky high stilettos to the thick slur of her words as she spoke to the guy she was practically hanging off of.

He still couldn't figure out why she looked so familiar, but he certainly recognized the man she was with. Emil Pangborn. The slimy and sleazy type of guy. Rather harmless in a "I would never kill anyone but only because it might stain my $400 designer t-shirt" way but creepy in a "I'll sleep with anything that's drunk" way.

It might have been because she looked so young, it might have been a gut feeling, or maybe it was just because he didn't like Pangborn. Whatever it was, Magnus extended his arm to block the door.

Pangborn raised his eyebrows, irritation evident. "Can I help you, Bane?" He drawled lazily. That made it even worse. His words weren't slurred in the least; he was completely sober and yet he was luring an underage girl home with him.

"Yes actually. You can leave, but she stays here." He nodded at the girl who looked like she was only staying upright because of her hold on Pangborn.

The other man scoffed. "And why should I do that? She wants to go with me."

Magnus shifted his gaze back to the girl, then looked at Pangborn in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" When he didn't receive a response, he sighed. Why did he always have to deal with such idiots? "I don't think she's really capable of making any decisions right now. And she's probably about fifteen, so unless I need to give you a lesson in New York law then get out."

"Whatever." Pangborn left, unceremoniously shoving the girl off him. She would have face planted in the doorway if Magnus reacted any slower.

"Asshole," he muttered.

He waited for the last couple guests to filter out before addressing the girl. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

She blinked, momentarily distracted the flickering lightbulb in the entryway. "Iza, uh, Isabelle," she answered. Magnus wondered how much alcohol she had to have to make her words so garbled. He took a little comfort in the fact she didn't appear to be drugged, just outrageously drunk.

"I'm Magnus. You're going to stay the night here, okay? I'm not going to hurt you. You can sleep on the couch. Is that alright?" He talked slowly, gripping her shoulders so she was forced to focus on him.

He wasn't all that sure she understood, but she nodded and allowed herself to be led back upstairs - which was no easy task. The rest of it, however, was surprisingly simple. He had her drink a glass of water, he got her a blanket and a pillow, then she kicked off her shoes and was out like a light.

As an afterthought, he placed a bin by the sofa. Just in case. He didn't want puke on his floor.

* * *

><p>Three soft knocks against the door woke him up. <em>Who the hell was waking him up?<em> He groaned loudly and rolled over. "Come in."

"Um, hi," a feminine voice said. Magnus blinked himself awake, suddenly recalling the events of the party.

"Oh hey. Isabelle, right?" He propped himself up on his elbows so he could look at her. She was still in her dress from the night before, but her makeup was smudged and her hair mussed.

"Yeah. Didn't you say your name was Marcus or something?"

"Magnus," he corrected. "But close enough. I'm just impressed you remember anything."

She nodded to herself. "I remember most of it. Look, uh, thanks. For what you did."

He yawned and raised his arms above his head in a languid stretch. "Don't mention it. I pity the girls Pangborn actually manages to get home. Just out of curiosity, how old are you? And how'd you end up at my party?"

"I'm sixteen," she said. Her chin jutted out and she crossed her arms defiantly, as if daring him to say something about it. He didn't. "And I don't know. I was with some…friends, and they had a flyer. I don't think they came here with me though."

He nodded wordlessly, nearly drifting back to sleep when she spoke again.

"I need to get home. Do you know where my purse is?"

He opened his eyes. "No, but you didn't have one when you showed up here."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. They were dark, almost but not quite black. "Great. I lost my MetroCard, my wallet, and my phone all in one night. And that clutch was Jimmy Choo."

He flashed a grin. "Nice. A girl with taste. You can use my phone if you want to call a cab or something."

"No cash, remember? And I'm not taking any from you, you did more than enough last night." She bit her lip in thought, then added, "But do you mind if I call someone to pick me up?"

He just handed her the phone in response.

Rather than taking the phone into the living room like he expected, she made the call right there. It didn't take long for someone to pick up. He could only hear Isabelle's side of the conversation, but he could fill in the blanks on his own.

"It's me…Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry…I know, I know. Can you come pick me up?…I don't know. Brooklyn, I think?" Magnus hastily scribbled down the address on a notepad which she read out into the cell. "Got it? Thanks, Jace. See you in a bit."

She ended the call and tossed the phone back to him.

"Boyfriend?" He asked, only partially interested.

She frowned. "Brother."

"Ooh," he said sympathetically. "Good luck." He sat up fully and cracked his neck. "Alright, if that's it then I'm going to get dressed. You need anything?"

Isabelle shook her head. "I'm going to wait out in the den. Thanks again, Magnus," she said sincerely.

He shrugged. "Like I said, don't mention it."

He ended up chatting with Isabelle over coffee while they waited for the arrival of her brother. She still seemed a little on edge, but she was friendly enough. He actually kind of liked the girl. She was spirited.

The buzzer sounded, letting him know someone was waiting to be let in. He pressed the button without saying anything into the speaker.

Only seconds later, an out-of-breath blonde boy burst through the door.

"Jace?" Isabelle stood up, sounding confused and a little worried - possibly for this Jace's sanity.

"Don't be mad," Jace started, pressing his back against the door. A voice came from the other side. "God damn it, Jace," it said.

Isabelle scowled. "You told Alec?" She exclaimed.

"He found out on his own, alright? I sprinted two blocks and up a flight of stairs so I could warn you. On another note, I think Alec's getting faster. I had to shove him down the stairs to beat him here."

Magnus interrupted, "Wait, you pushed someone down the stairs?"

Jace waved him off. "He's my brother. Sort of. He's fine, just in case you were worried about a lawsuit. That's him banging on the door behind me." He turned back to Isabelle. "He's kind of pissed off by the way."

"Really?" She retorted sarcastically. "I thought he'd be overjoyed."

Without warning, Jace pulled open the door. Magnus's jaw nearly hit the floor with he saw who was standing behind it.

He finally figured out why Isabelle looked so familiar. The slender brows, the elegant features and high cheekbones, the pale skin, the black hair. She was just as good looking as her brother. The stranger from the coffee shop, from the school. What were the odds of running into the same person three times in New York City?

He wasn't laughing like he'd done with Max. He didn't even look angry, not like Jace had described him to be. He was scowling; it looked like it was something he did often. He was disappointed.

A drawstring bag was slung over his shoulder. "Here," he offered it to Isabelle. "You can change your clothes."

"Thanks," Isabelle said. She sound quiet, sad. Nothing at all like the girl he'd been talking to just moments ago, or even the girl who had yelled at Jace. Then it clicked. She was sorry. She felt guilty for disappointing her brother. Alec - he wondered if that was short for anything.

It wasn't until Isabelle had shut the bathroom door behind that Alec looked anywhere else. When he finally saw Magnus, his eyes went wide.

"You - I've, um…you were - the coffee…" He trailed off, looking baffled.

Magnus fought the urge to smile. It was kind of cute, the way he couldn't even form a full sentence all of a sudden.

Jace cocked a blonde eyebrow. "You okay, Alec?" He shot a sideways glance at Magnus.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh, worried about Max, that's it." It turned out Alec was a terrible liar. Both Jace and Magnus knew that, but neither said anything.

"He's fine," Jace insisted. Magnus realized that they were talking about the little boy from the school, the one Alec was with. That confirmed it, if there was any doubt. It was definitely the same man from before. Although Max probably wasn't his son if Jace and Isabelle were his siblings. "He can handle being left with our neighbor for a bit."

Jace abruptly changed the topic. "So, you let Izzy crash here after a party?"

Magnus nodded. "I did."

Jace spent a few more moments staring him down, and Magnus met his gaze unflinchingly. At last, he nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Isabelle came back out just then, clad in jeans and a tank top. Goosebumps were visible on her arms, and Magnus noticed he had left the air conditioning on all night. He was perfectly comfortable, but most people would have been freezing.

In some sort of wordless exchange, Alec took the bag from her and handed her a pill bottle. Something that looked like Advil or Tylenol, he noted. He hadn't even thought to offer her any, although with the amount she drank she probably had a pretty bad headache. She shook out a couple pills and swallowed them dry, then shivered involuntarily.

"Are you okay?" Alec asked. Magnus was surprised by how soft his voice was all of a sudden. He was the epitome of a concerned older brother in that moment.

She nodded. "Just cold."

Simultaneously, Jace and Alec both started to shrug off their jackets. Magnus couldn't help his grin this time. It was cute - and a little amusing - watching them. Touching, really, how obviously they all cared for each other. It was undeniable, even if it was just two brothers picking up their hungover sister from a stranger's apartment.

After she pulled on Alec's jacket, Isabelle smiled over her shoulder at him. "Thanks, Magnus."

"Anytime." He caught Alec's stare and corrected himself. "I mean, I hope never to find you at one of my parties again or I'll be forced to escort you home."

Jace snorted and Isabelle giggled lightly. Alec not-so-subtly sneaked another glance at him on the way out, and Jace left with a nod of acknowledgement. Magnus shut the door behind the three, and he smiled.

Then he cursed himself for still not giving Alec his number.

* * *

><p>He was going to throw his computer out the window.<p>

No really, he was. He said it a lot, but this time he was literally just going to open the window and drop it. _Let's see if it'll survive a two story crash_, he thought.

Why couldn't he have become a doctor or a firefighter or a...a scuba diving instructor? Anything but this, really. _This_ was what he got for not paying attention in chemistry class. And nearly failing maths. And skipping gym. And - _fuck, I was an awful student_, he realized.

Oh well. He knew how to flirt in French and when to use whom instead of who. _Take that, Mr. Conroy with your thick accent that no one understood a word of_. That guy was the main reason he was so bad at maths.

Frustrated - and very aware of how expensive his laptop was - he went to go get some tea from the kitchen. The intercom buzzed just as he stood up, but he figured Camille or whichever one of his friends it was could wait until he poured his tea.

A minute later, the annoying buzzer sounded again. He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. So he could wait twenty minutes for Camille to find her purse but she couldn't wait two for him to buzz her in?

"What do you want now?" He said into the speaker. He had just talked to Camille on the phone a couple hours ago, and he'd told her he was busy writing. Unless it was somebody else, like Ragnor or - crap, was it tonight or tomorrow that he was supposed to meet Catarina for dinner?

He was expecting anybody except the person who was actually there. "It's Alec." Immediately his mind brought forward the image of the boy. Black hair, blue eyes, positively gorgeous. Magnus closed his eyes and smiled. He sounded indecisive, not exactly shy but like he was unsure about what he was doing. "Um, Isabelle's brother," he added. As if Magnus would forget him.

Magnus buzzed him in without a second thought.

He glanced down at what he was wearing, wondering if he should change. Ungodly tight jeans? Check. _Eh_. They would do. He asked himself if waiting by the door would seem too eager, but then he decided he didn't care. This was the most unpredictable thing that had happened in a month, he was allowed to be a little zealous.

Then he came up the stairs. Hands fidgeting, eyes trained on the floor, his hair a mess. _A sexy mess_, his brain interjected. _Messy is not synonymous for sexy_, he argued. _No, but he's pretty, he can wear his hair however he wants_.

Sometimes Magnus wished he had a subconscious that didn't argue with him so much.

Magnus smirked, enjoying the way the other man's eyes looked him up and down before flickering away. It was always nice when other people were interested, even if only on a superficial level.

"You again," he greeted. "As far as I know your sister isn't here, so to what do I owe this visit?"

It took Alec longer to reply. Magnus could practically see the gears turning in his head. It was written all over his face. Magnus was curious now. What was he thinking about?

But Magnus had never been described as particularly patient, so he snapped his fingers in front of Alec's face. "You still with me?" He asked.

He gave a curt nod, and Magnus grinned at the blush that followed. "Yeah. Sorry."

"That's alright." And it really was. Magnus found it endearing rather than irritating. "Why don't you come in?" He said, stepping back inside the apartment. He turned around without waiting to see if Alec would follow.

He did.

Magnus fell carelessly into a lounge chair and watched as the blue-eyed boy chose a seat on the sofa. He paid special attention as those very eyes ran over the length of his body once more. _Yeah. Definitely interested_, Magnus thought contently.

"So. Was there something you needed?" Magnus asked when wracking his brain didn't help. He couldn't think of a reason why he would be here - not that the visit wasn't appreciated. Unless he was here to ask him out, in which case that would be more than appreciated.

"Not really," Alec started slowly. "I just wanted to thank you."

Well there was a shocker. Magnus didn't bother to hide his bewilderment. "What for?"

"For Isabelle." Alec looked increasingly uncomfortable with each word he said, but Magnus couldn't tell if that was just his personality or if it was because of him. "She told me what happened, and I wanted to say thanks for intervening."

Magnus was torn between deciding whether this boy was heartbreakingly adorable or ridiculously sweet. Who else did he know that would come all the way to Brooklyn to thank a virtual stranger for helping his sister?

But what Magnus really wanted was a reaction. Something other than careful, thought-out responses. So instead of aww-ing and beaming like he was tempted to, he pouted. "Oh. You're welcome, I suppose," he replied, his voice crestfallen. Magnus didn't have to try very hard, because he already was slightly put out. "And here I was, hoping you had realized how desirable I am and come to ask me out."

Magnus felt a little bad when a second later Alec choked out a "What?" Poor guy. He clearly wasn't used to people hitting on him. Magnus had no idea why. He certainly warranted it.

Magnus tried to look unaffected by the sudden exclamation. "Well you are gay, right? Or do you just blush that much around everyone?"

He already knew the answer to his question, but he couldn't help but be a little satisfied when Alec admitted, "Yes, I am." After all, it was always good to be sure.

"Oh at least I got that right," he said casually. To add to the effect, he busied himself with examining his nails. Magnus thought maybe he was playing 'aloof' a little too well because Alec's expression tugged at his heartstrings. So rather than carry on with the charade, Magnus dropped the front and looked Alec straight in the eyes. "Well since it doesn't look like you're going to do it, I might as well try my luck. Alec, would you like to go out some time?"

Alec looked stunned, as if even after hearing everything Magnus had just said he couldn't believe he was being asked out. "With you?" was all he could manage to say.

"No, with my downstairs neighbor." Magnus inwardly winced at his own harsh sarcasm, but apparently _that_ Alec was used to because he didn't react. Magnus smiled gently and said, "Yes, with me." He was more than a little amused at that point, and with each minute Alec became more adorable than before.

"Yes?" He said as he would a question and hurried to clarify. "I mean, yes I would like that."

Magnus allowed the wide grin to split his face. "Perfect. Give me your hand."

Alec looked confused - and maybe he was still in disbelief - but he did offer Magnus his hand.

He took out the marker from his pocket - he never went anywhere without some sort of pen - and scrawled his number onto the back of Alec's hand. "There," he said, finishing with a flourish. Underneath his number in purple ink were the words: _Call me_. "See what works for you then give me a ring, and we'll make a date."

Alec looked down at his hand and read over the message. He blushed, but it was faint and wouldn't have been noticeable if Magnus hadn't been watching for it. Then he smiled. "Okay."

Magnus thought he was ten times more attractive when he was smiling instead of frowning.

"Come on, I'll show you out." He was worried that came out sounding rude, but he guessed thoughtless words were another thing Alec was accustomed to because he just nodded and stood up.

As he was about to open the door, Magnus mentally shrugged and thought _ah, what the hell_ and grabbed Alec by his biceps. It wasn't a real kiss, just a brush of the lips, but Alec still looked surprised.

Magnus smirked. He was probably enjoying it too much, but he didn't care. He leaned in closer until his lips were at Alec's ear. "Good night, Alec."

Alec blinked, as if coming out of a daze. Magnus's smirk widened. He cleared his throat and said an abrupt "Good night" before pulling open the door behind him. Magnus wasn't offended, only entertained, and he watched as the boy loped down the hall.

When he couldn't see him any longer, Magnus shut the door and walked back to his computer.

Then he wrote.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter I think will include their first date. I'm still debating whether or not to rewrite the whole meeting from Alec's POV or just add in details of what he thought during the next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think and how I can improve. Also, please don't say: But Jen (which is my name btw), <strong>**aren't you supposed to be all college-y and smart and good at writing? I'm a chem student. I can make homemade napalm but I still have to use spellcheck for the word "separate." (Yeah, I don't know why that one is so difficult for me either.)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Here it is, finally. Just a heads up, plenty of dialogue in this chapter because, well, its a date. People talk on first dates, unless you go the movies, which I think it kind of a cop out because you don't really get to know the other person at all. Personally the best first date I've had is when a boyfriend took me to an outdoor shooting range and taught me how to use a gun.**

* * *

><p>Alec didn't know what to think. Either he was a complete idiot, or going over to Magnus Bane's apartment had been the best decision he'd ever made. He vaguely recalled Jace mentioning a Three Day Rule, which meant you to wait three days before calling a girl or something, but Alec had long since decided that Jace enjoying screwing with people too much to be trusted.<p>

So he had simply stared at his hand. Stared at the purple ink that had stained his skin. He'd washed it off soon after he got home, but by then he had already memorized the number. And he couldn't get it out of his head. Alec had a hard enough talking to people as it was, did he really have to have a bunch of purple numbers floating around his head?

_Call me_.

The words were written in large, loopy handwriting. It wasn't exactly neat, but it was distinct.

The day after Alec had made a snap decision and called him. Very few words were exchanged, but Alec found that it was easier to talk to Magnus when he wasn't face to face with him. Well, not easier per se, but he didn't blush as much. They'd set a date for Friday.

He remembered the first time he saw him, when he - literally - ran into him and spilled his coffee. Alec had felt bad at first, because he looked either ill or hungover, but when he heard him speak he quickly - perhaps too quickly - concluded that the guy was a jerk. But even sick, he'd still looked good. He was just as attractive as Jace, albeit in a different way. He was taller than Alec, which hardly ever happened. He was tan and slender and his eyes were an unusual green-gold that immediately caught Alec's attention. Much like his handwriting, Magnus Bane was very distinct.

And he had a date with him.

A date. It felt weird to even think the words. Alec had never really dated before, simply because there was no one he interested in. Well, no _girls_ he was interested in. Jace was an entirely different story. He was also a very unacceptable one.

And just the other night, Magnus had almost kissed him. It wasn't even a real kiss and it had still been so much better than any actual kiss he'd had. (Although to be fair, his first kiss had been _Aline_.)

It would be perfect if Jace would just leave him alone.

Normally he wouldn't mind - hell, he would welcome Jace's company any other time. But him being there made it that much harder to leave the house without being asked difficult questions. Thank God the date was a Friday, because their parents were due home over the weekend and that would have been a whole other kind of difficult.

To make things even worse, Jace was going on about the new girl.

Alec had never really heard Jace admit to being genuinely interested in a girl before. He was usually indifferent where other people were concerned. Alec couldn't think of a time when Jace had openly cared about anyone outside their family. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little bothered by Jace's newfound fascination with Clarissa.

Alec hummed and nodded absently in response to something Jace had said. He didn't actually know what he'd said, to be perfectly honest. And that in itself was odd because usually Alec could nearly repeat Jace's words verbatim.

He thought he might have interrupted him when he excused himself, but either Jace didn't care or he had been done talking because he just waved him off. It was getting late. He still had time to get to Brooklyn, but only if he left soon. Alec almost contemplated his outfit, but then he decided that yes, this was a date but he wasn't going to try and be someone he wasn't. So he just changed into fresh, slightly less worn clothes: Faded jeans, a gray t-shirt that he thought Izzy might've bought him and his usual black jacket.

He stuffed his wallet in his pocket and was almost out the door when a voice came from behind him.

"Where are you going?" Isabelle peered around the corner to look at him. Her legs were thrown over the arm of a chair and her cellphone was in her hands.

"Out."

"Out where?" She pressed.

Alec had been planning to lie. He had thought about what his response would be if any of his siblings asked that question. He would say he was going to meet Maia somewhere, because Izzy didn't like her and Maia didn't like Jace so neither of them would offer to tag along or text her to confirm. But Alec was honest by nature - and a terrible liar at that - and even with the words planned out in advance he still screwed up.

"Brooklyn. I have a d-" Alec managed to cut himself off before he revealed anything. "I'm just going to meet a friend."

"Oh, who are meeting up with?" She didn't sound prying. She wasn't even looking at him, she was just typing away on her phone.

Maia, say Maia. She didn't live in Brooklyn but Isabelle wouldn't know that. "Nobody." Yeah, because that isn't suspicious at all. Good going.

Isabelle finally glanced up from the screen, her dark eyes narrowing curiously. "Nobody?" She repeated.

Okay, he could still salvage this. "I meant nobody you know." She knew all of his friends, how was that any better?

Suddenly she grinned. She sat up and put her phone away - so he knew she meant business. "Alexander Gideon Lightwood, what are you trying to hide?" She was still smiling. He didn't like it. It was more of a smirk, really. "Could it be that you're meeting a girl? For a date?"

His silence was apparently confirmation enough.

Her squeal nearly deafened him. Her hands clasped together happily. "Oh my god, you are! Okay, well go, but you better tell me everything when you get back."

He knew better than to make any promises. Instead he just ducked his head and hurried out of the house.

By the time he got to Magnus's building, he had practically worked himself into a nervous breakdown. He paced up and down the street at least five times before finally making it to the front door. Suddenly pressing a button was so much harder. It was easy enough the other night when he had just come to thank him, but this was...different.

Alec stepped back and was about to start pacing again when the door opened.

"Sorry, but I got impatient," Magnus said with an inscrutable smirk.

Meanwhile, Alec nearly fell on his ass after jumping back in surprise. If it hadn't been for the brown hand that shot out to steady him, he would have.

"Careful there, cupcake."

Cupcake? Really? Alec cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to not be too obvious when he looked him up and down. He was wearing a purple velvet blazer and silver pants that looked like capable of cutting off someone's circulation. He had three earrings in one ear and two in the other, and his darkly lined eyes looked almost inhuman. Alec wondered if he was staring. Probably.

He figured he should say something. "Sorry, I was...distracted." Distracted. Sure, that works, he thought.

"Of course you were." Magnus looked like he was teasing him; Alec didn't know whether he should be embarrassed or not.

Alec was only vaguely aware that he was walking. He thought they might have been going to the subway station, but he didn't know Brooklyn as well as Manhattan. It was...awkward. All that stuff about 'companionable silence' and 'effortless relationships' - Alec was quickly realizing that was all bullshit. Magnus tried to start up a few conversations. He was a great conversationalist, but Alec - not so much.

It wasn't that Alec didn't like him, he was just terrible in any kind of social situation. He wasn't shy or afraid of speaking, he just didn't like to waste words. He'd speak up if he felt he had something of importance or interest to add, but that was rare. He'd always been that way. He remembered that when he was growing up his parents had been utterly convinced something was wrong with him because of his alleged 'apathy'. It was only after a handful of unnecessary therapy sessions that they stopped worrying.

What would Jace or Izzy do, he asked himself.

Neither of them had any trouble talking to people, or even flirting. Alec had once waited at a coffeehouse for over an hour while Jace had sex with a waitress in the bathroom of the restaurant across the street. Maybe he didn't need _that_ much confidence, but the point remained the same. His siblings were both great at the whole dating thing. Alec didn't understand why someone would play coy or hard to get. He was too blunt for that kind of thing.

All things considered, it was going better than Alec thought it would. He'd half expected the other man to stop him halfway to the station and say something like "Sorry, I wanted this to work but you're dreadfully boring. See you." They were just about to board the car when someone came stumbling out and puked on Magnus's shoes - or he would have if Magnus hadn't seen it coming and stepped out of the way. Alec wondered how often this happened to him.

Magnus rolled his eyes, carefully avoiding the vomit as he stepped inside. "Lovely."

"It's not even eight pm," Alec muttered. "Have some fucking class." Then his eyes went wide, because he hadn't meant to say that out loud, nor did he mean to swear. Wasn't that some kind of rule on a date? Be nice, open doors, don't say 'fuck.'

He was halfway through an earnest apology when Magnus laughed under his breath. And suddenly, talking didn't seem so scary. "What's wrong with eight o'clock drunks? They don't abide by social convention, and I can always appreciate a nonconformist."

Alec shrugged. "At least there's that," he agreed.

Now that the ice had been broken - or at least cracked - Magnus seemed much more comfortable with rambling on with only minimal encouragement from Alec. He was telling him about the restaurant they were going to. Later Alec wouldn't be able to remember what he ate or even the name of the place. He thought it might have been Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food. Whatever it had been was good, but Magnus was far more interesting.

Especially when he was explaining why he was banned from a similar restaurant closer to his apartment. Alec considered telling him why he and his siblings had been kicked out of Taki's, but then decided that that was the kind of story for the third date.

Whoa. Third date? He hadn't even made it through the first. Who was to say Magnus would even want a second? Or what if Alec decided that Magnus wasn't his type? Okay, sure, the second option was unlikely, but the first could totally happen. What if-

"Alec?" He glanced toward the voice. "Are you coming?"

Oh great, the hostess was trying to seat them and Alec was just standing there like the village idiot. He really had to stop doing that. Aware of his surroundings or not, the blank yet angry expression was kind of a turn off for some people. It was why his sister kicked him so much - and he had the bruises on his shins to prove it.

"Yeah, sorry."

Magnus smiled kindly. "That's alright."

Once they were seated, Alec immediately grabbed the menu as an excuse not to talk. Or, you know, even look at Magnus. Sunglasses. He was definitely bringing sunglasses the next time he went on any date. Actually no, scratch that, he always thought people who wore sunglasses indoors looked like idiots. He was not an idiot. Probably.

"So, um." What was he doing? Shut up, stop talking, talking just makes things worse. Need he remember the incident with Isabelle earlier that evening? "What do you-"

His phone rang.

Oh thank God.

"Sorry," he said, glancing down at the screen. He saw it was Izzy and ignored the call.

"Did you need to get that?" Magnus asked.

"What?" The call, dumbass. "Oh no, it was just my sister."

Grinning, the green eyed man joked, "Don't tell me, she's stuck at another stranger's house after a party?"

"If she is she can walk home." Magnus laughed, and Alec let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "But no, she won't go out tonight. Our parents are coming home tomorrow and she doesn't want to be hungover for it," he said honestly.

"Where were they - your parents I mean? On holiday?"

Why were they talking about his parents again? "No, business actually." His phone rang again. It was Jace; he ignored the call again.

"Oh, what do they do?"

They helped internationalize what was previously a small corporation and turned it into a conglomerate. "Something to do with company management and whatnot." That wasn't exactly lying, he told himself, just an abridged version of the truth. His phone vibrated one, two, three times. Three text messages. All from Isabelle and Jace.

Magnus was looking at him like he was waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, what was that?" He cut off the phone mid-ring this time. It was from Maia. The one night he was actually busy and everyone chose now to text him?

"That's fine, I said-" Magnus was interrupted by the waiter asking for their orders. Alec randomly chose something off the menu. Magnus sighed, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "As I was saying-"

The phone rang. Again.

Unfortunately this was also about the time Alec's brain short-circuited, so he ended up just dropping it in his glass of water.

Magnus slowly raised his brows. "You know, I don't think those things are waterproof."

Alec decided not to mention that his family could probably buy a small cellphone company if they wanted to do. "I think you're right. It was just...irritating."

"Ever thought about turning it on silent?" Magnus was still looking at him like he was a mental patient. Which, forty or so years earlier, he probably could have been.

"I don't know how," he mumbled, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

"Sorry babe, gonna have to speak up."

What was with this guy and pet names? Cupcake, babe? "I don't know how," he repeated louder.

The seconds ticked by painfully slow. Then laughter. Honest to god tear-streaming, clutching-your-stomach guffaws. To his credit though, Magnus got himself under control pretty fast. "I'm sorry about that, it's just that I've never met anyone who drowned their phone because they didn't know how to turn it on silent."

"Yeah, hilarious," he grumbled. Maybe this had been a mistake, maybe he should-

"No, hold on, I'm not laughing _at_ you, I'm...okay, fine, maybe I'm laughing at you a little, but don't take it the wrong way. You're just..." There was a long pause where Magnus looked at him. And for once, Alec didn't feel uncomfortable under his stare. He wanted to hear what he had to say. "You're not what I expected," he finished abruptly.

Magnus still looked like he had more to stay, and Alec could be patient. So he waited.

"Are you going to freak out if I kiss you right now?"

"Um." Great answer. "Probably," he said truthfully.

Magnus didn't look disappointed, in fact, Alec could have sworn he was amused by his honesty. "Hmm. Another time, then."

Alec decided not to ask what he'd meant by that, instead urging himself to change the subject. For the first time that night, his brain cooperated. "So who were you expecting when I came over the other day?"

"What do you mean?" Also for the first time that evening, Magnus was the one who looked confused.

"Well you said 'what do you want now', so unless you really hate girl scouts or something it doesn't seem like something you greet just anyone with."

Magnus chuckled, shaking his head. "I completely forgot. Sorry about that, by the way. I was expecting my friend Camille. She likes to bother me when I'm writing."

"You write?" Was it his job? Alec had a hard time placing Magnus in any conventional profession. He just didn't seem like the type. And while he certainly wasn't the stuffy, middle aged stereotype, writing somehow suited him.

"A little. Actually, that's a lie. Writing is actually what's paying my rent right now," Magnus told him. There was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Clearly writing was something he was passionate about.

Alec was curious. He was a firm believer in the idea that you could tell a lot about a person from the way the wrote. And right now, whatever else he may be, he was curious about Magnus Bane. "Anything I might have read?"

"Maybe. I write under a pen name: Marc Bauer. And in case you wanted to know, I used Google for that. I just wanted to keep my initials. My publisher said something about how my name was more marketable for a porno than a bestseller."

While Alec was busy blushing and wondering where he'd heard that name before, the waiter brought out their food. He cast a dubious glance at the submerged cellphone, but he didn't ask any questions so either this was a regular occurrence or he just didn't care. His money was on the latter. This was New York City, after all.

"Wait a second," Alec said. "What was the name again?" Magnus told him, and after a few more moments of rummaging through all the useless junk in his brain, he found what he was looking for. "My friend Aline gave me one of your books for my birthday. I haven't started it yet though."

"Which one is it?"

What was the point of having a brain if he couldn't even manage to remember the title of a book? "Um, I don't know," he admitted. "It was something German; it threw me off at first. Zugzwang, I think?"

There was a spark of recognition in Magnus's eyes. "Oh, that's the second one I wrote! It didn't take nearly as long as the first," he said in a low voice, like he was confessing some huge secret. "You can tell me what you think of it when you're done."

Alec didn't miss the implication in his words; Magnus wanted to talk to him again, maybe see him. The realization of that alone was enough to make him grin.

At some point while they were smiling at each other like idiots, the waiter came by to clear their plates and drop off the check. Naturally, Alec reached for it.

"What are you doing?"

Alec nearly jumped at the sudden question, then became confused as he processed the words. His first reaction was to come back with a sarcastic quip; his second was to bite his tongue and ask Magnus to clarify. He was more prone to choosing the second - or saying nothing at all - but after a moment's thought he changed his mind. "Well I'm assuming they want us to actually pay for the food."

Green eyes rolled skyward in obvious disapproval. "I got that part, but seeing as _I_ asked out _you_, I'm paying."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Nowhere, it's just the thing to do."

"So you're accepting a social custom that has no rationality behind it without question. That's a bit conformist, don't you think?" Alec said, alluding to Magnus's earlier nonconformist comment.

Magnus momentarily narrowed his eyes, then he suddenly grinned. "Alright, then. I'll play you for it." He put one hand out, palm facing upward, and the other held loosely in a fist above it. It took Alec a minute to realize what he was doing.

"Rock-paper-scissors?" He asked in disbelief. "Really?"

"It's a very noble game," Magnus declared. "King Charles the First originally implemented its use with Parliament to decide which laws to pass."

Alec couldn't really be blamed for what he said next. If anything, it was his parents' faults. He was the oldest of four, so it was reflex for him to correct people. He automatically replied with a brief explanation about how the game actually originated in China - although some said it was Japan - around 200 BC and it didn't become popular Europe until the 20th century.

Magnus blinked. "You're being serious, aren't you? Jesus, I just made mine up."

Alec shrugged, his cheeks tinted pink.

Magnus laughed. "Come on, let's play. And none of that best two out of three crap."

Alec rolled his eyes, thinking that it was still a stupid idea but with siblings like his he was used to going along with stupid ideas. He chose paper, holding out a flat hand. Magnus chose scissors.

"I win," he said cheerily. He took the check with more flourish than was strictly necessary, amused by Alec's crossed arms and muttered "It's a stupid game."

"I beg to differ; that right there was pure skill, sweetheart."

Alec was tempted to roll his eyes; he really should start keeping a tally of how many pet names Magnus used. But before he could, Magnus grabbed his hand and guided him out of the restaurant. He was surprised he didn't let go once they were outside, but he was also grateful for it. Being close to him, touching him...it was nice.

And maybe Magnus's confidence was contagious, because Alec hardly spared a thought to the fact that he was holding hands with another man on the street where anyone could see them. He didn't care that someone from school or someone who knew his family might see them together on the subway, sitting closer than friends normally would and casting sidelong glances at each other.

Alec was shocked to realize that he was disappointed when they stopped in front of Magnus's building - disappointed that it was coming to an end.

Now came the hard part: saying goodbye. What was he supposed to do? They'd almost kissed the other night, but did that mean Magnus would do it again? A handshake was too formal, and he thought a hug might be awkward. Magnus didn't make any move to indicate he was going to do something, and Alec didn't have a clue what to do.

He took a step back, and Magnus's eyes followed him. "Well, um, I'll see you around," he said. It was a lame goodbye, and it came out sounding more like a question than anything else, but he supposed that couldn't be helped.

Magnus's lips widened into a smirk. "What, no kiss goodnight?" He asked playfully.

He was taunting him, Alec realized. This was a test, and Magnus was expecting him to fail. He was probably fully prepared to initiate it once Alec confirmed he wasn't going to. Well screw that, Alec thought with a bitter undertone.

He took a step forward. He hesitated when he saw Magnus's expectant expression, but then he steeled himself and took the plunge, pressing his lips to Magnus's. He was glad Magnus responded right away, because he might have lost his nerve otherwise. For a moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing but the hands pulling him closer and the lips against his own.

It could have gone on forever, and Alec kind of wished it would have, but then it was over all too quickly and Magnus was looking at him with a glint in his eyes that actually made him less nervous for a change.

"Call me when you finish the book," Magnus said softly.

Alec finished it that same night.

* * *

><p><strong>Right, so please tell me what you think in a review and all that jazz. Do you prefer the shorter chapters I had in the beginning, or these longer ones? What did you think of this little first date? Do you like this more kind of stream-of-consciousness writing better? Leave your thoughts and suggestions in a comment and have a happy February.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get out. My mom had a stroke. Thankfully it was mild but she was in the hospital for a few days while they ran tests and well, writing wasn't exactly a priority then. But to make up for it this chapter is extra long (over 8000 words and 28 pages on Word). Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>"Oh god, he looks happy. Do you think we can still make a run for it?" Will looked rather horrified, much to his wife's amusement.<p>

Magnus rolled his eyes, but kept his smile, as he took a seat on the opposite side of the booth next to Camille. Pointedly ignoring the inquisitive stares, he flipped open his menu. "Do you think they're still serving pancakes?" He mused. "It's only eleven."

"Did you hook up with someone last night?" Will asked. He didn't sound much like he wanted to know the answer.

Camille shook her head. "No, he wouldn't be this happy about that. Unless it was someone really good. Magnus, did you sleep with Woolsey Scott again?"

"He wishes," he snorted lightly. He was definitely going to ask about the pancakes. There was nothing better than breakfast for lunch - except breakfast for dinner. Although since he'd only woken up a hour or two ago, he supposed this was just breakfast. That was a bit boring. Maybe he'd order something else, and have lunch for breakfast. After all, why should certain foods only be allowed to be eaten at certain times?

Apparently the three were still guessing at the reason behind his good mood.

"-or maybe one of his books is being made into a movie," Tessa said. "Although I'm not sure I'd want to see it. His second book had me in tears. Seriously Magnus, the part where Anna dies - you can't just _do_ that to people. I was a wreck for days."

Magnus chuckled under his breath. "While that would be awesome, to my knowledge there are no films based on any of my books being made."

"I've got it!" Camille held up her cellphone triumphantly. "On Wednesday, at 7:18 PM, I texted Magnus asking him if he wanted to do something on Friday. He replied, and I quote, 'Sorry, honey, I can't. Hot date.'" She grinned smugly. "So, Magnus, who is she-slash-he?"

He sighed dramatically, but he wasn't fooling anyone. It was pretty obvious that he'd just been waiting for an opportunity to talk about it. "Cam, you remember that girl from my party that neither of us knew?"

"Oh my god, Magnus, she was like sixteen!" Camille exclaimed.

"No, not her," he hurried to explain. "Her brother, Alec."

"Her _legal_ brother?" She verified.

Magnus rolled his eyes again. "Yes, he's eighteen."

Will drawled, "Isn't eighteen a little young?"

Tessa spoke up in his defense. "He's twenty five, not forty."

"_Thank you_," Magnus said. "And I've decided to stay twenty five for at least the next ten years."

"That's what pedophiles say," Will remarked offhandedly.

"Fuck you, Will," he retorted, playfully irritated. He'd come to expect those kind of comments from his friends by now.

"So are you going to see him again?" Tessa asked, curious. She was supportive of almost any relationship he had, so he shouldn't have been surprised.

Magnus shrugged. "That's up to him." He definitely wanted to, but he also wanted to leave it up to Alec, force him to show his hand maybe. There was nothing wrong with being a little reserved, but he was interested in seeing what would happen if the ball was in his court, so to speak. He'd tried it out last night, with the kiss, and was more than happy with the results.

"I'll give him a week to call," he decided aloud. "If he doesn't, no harm done." Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if that was true.

* * *

><p>As far as mornings went in the Lightwood household, this one was relatively calm. During the week, the earliest hours were usually hectic and rushed, with one of them being late or someone forgetting breakfast or the fire alarm going off (Isabelle had never quite learned that some things just weren't meant to be microwaved.)<p>

But it was finally the weekend and everyone was sleeping in. Or at least Isabelle and Max were.

Jace and Alec were the morning people of the family, and at some point throughout their several-year-long friendship their schedules had become synchronized. They woke up at some ungodly hour, usually stumbled into each other outside their rooms, then left. Occasionally they went to the gym, but more often than not they ran. Sometimes it would be their normal, routine run; other times they'd jog out to Central Park, exchange a glance, then _run_.

Other sports kept them occupied during the fall, but when spring came around they were both avid track athletes. Jace was faster, but Alec ran long distance so every once in a while he'd manage a win.

This wasn't one of those times.

One would think he'd be excited and full of energy after his date last night, that he would be at the top of his game. If anything, the opposite was true. He was so thoroughly distracted by his thoughts that he didn't stand a chance. He'd tripped at the start of their run - over a flat surface nonetheless - and at one point he had just...stopped. It took Jace another fifty meters to realize Alec was no longer beside him, or anywhere near him for that matter.

He was distracted, more out of frustration than anything else. Frustration because he just didn't _get_ Magnus. One second he had been making sarcastic comments and provoking remarks, and the next he would get this strange look on his face and Alec felt the words he said afterwards were far more genuine than his others.

"So where were you last night?" Jace asked, his breathing still a little heavy. "I tried calling you but you didn't pick up."

Alec faltered, but Jace didn't appear to notice. "Oh, right. I, um, left my phone in a cab by mistake. Remind me to get a new one." He did his best to sound casual, indifferent. He could feel Jace's eyes on his back when he opened the fridge and tried to ignore it.

After what felt like hours but was more likely seconds, Jace said something. Alec nearly let out a sigh of relief at the familiar eye roll. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," the blond joked as he started the coffee.

Alec flipped him off before starting breakfast. It was a familiar action, one he was used to. Their family used to have a cook, but she had either quit or been fired and no one had ever brought up hiring a new one. He didn't mind. He was a lot more competent in the kitchen than his sister, at least.

"You didn't answer my question," Jace pointed out.

Alec shrugged. "I was with Maia." He'd repeated those words to himself until it was practically instinct to say them. He didn't want another mishap like with Izzy. "There was a band playing at some coffeehouse in Brooklyn she wanted to see, and Jordan was busy." He was actually impressed with how believable it sounded.

Jace just nodded, accepting the lie with ease. Thank God.

This was usually the time when Max woke up, not because it was that much later but because the food was ready, and what nine year old boy didn't like to eat? Sure enough, a few minutes later he came in, half asleep with his glasses askew on his face.

With practiced motions, Jace poured him a glass of orange juice and pushed it his way just as he was reaching for the coffeepot.

His gray eyes narrowed behind the lenses.

Jace grinned cheekily and ruffled his hair. "It's good for you. Vitamin C and all that. You wouldn't want to get scurvy."

Alec chuckled as Max reluctantly took the juice and muttered indignantly, "Alec drinks coffee by the gallon."

"He's a lost cause."

Had Max not been in the room, Alec would have flipped Jace off again. A couple of cups in the morning was _not_ a lost cause. Even three was perfectly acceptable. And if he drank more in the afternoon, and more again in the evening, then so what? It wasn't like he was addicted. He could quit anytime he wanted to.

The annoying voice in the back of his head reminded him that that was what all addicts said.

"When are Mom and Dad getting home?" Max asked between bites.

Alec was about to shrug and say he didn't know when Jace cut him off. "They _are_ home." Well that was news to him. "They've been holed up in their offices since before the sun came up. From what I could hear, Maryse is talking about selling their stakes in some media company and Robert's negotiating a business acquisition."

He really wanted not to be bothered by that. But he was.

He sighed, but rather than mull over their increasingly-absent parents, he thought about Magnus.

* * *

><p>This just wasn't Alec's week.<p>

Last week? Perfectly fine. No problems at school, a date that didn't completely go to shit, and a relatively peaceful Saturday. Nothing wrong with that.

But then Sunday happened, and with it, his parents finally came out of their office. Alec wasn't sure which he preferred - the times when his parents were in Seattle or Paris or wherever they went to when they were working, or the times when they were home and mostly oblivious to their children. Sure, he felt pretty crappy when they missed his eighth grade graduation, but at least when they were gone he could pretend they cared. When they were home, it was either "Sorry, we have a meeting, gotta go" and "You'll have to figure out dinner for tonight, we're working late" or the his father's increasingly awkward attempts at conversation that usually included questions about girls and dating that he had no idea how to answer.

Monday brought about the Maia incident.

He had just finished his last class of the day and was going to find Isabelle so they could get Max and go home. Jace had mentioned something about not waiting for him because he was going to stick around and talk to Clary. Alec had scowled after hearing that, but he didn't say anything on the subject.

Then he heard someone calling him.

"Hey Lightwood! Wait up."

Alec turned just in time to see none other than Maia Roberts jogging down the hall. As requested, he stopped walking long enough for her to catch up. Her bag was filled to the brim with textbooks and she was carrying another two. "You want some help with that?" He asked.

Maia just grinned and teased, "My heavens, Alec Lightwood - offering to carry my books? I'm flattered, truly." She fanned her face with her hand and fluttered her lashes.

He rolled his eyes at her antics. "See if I ever try to be nice again."

"Fine, fine, that's not what I wanted you for but if you could take a couple out of my bag that'd be great. I swear, I'm starting to walk lopsided because of all these books." She shoved two at him unceremoniously. "Honestly, I have seven textbooks for six classes. How does that even work? And don't even get me started on how much homework I've already had to do. Screw a good education, I'd rather skate by in some underfunded public school than deal with this."

"Maia," he said, "Nearly all of my classes this year are AP. You're complaining to the wrong person."

"Yeah I know. Telling you about my problems, making you carry my books - people are going to start thinking I'm dating _you_. And the 'I swear I'm not sleeping with your friend' talk is one I don't want to have with Jordan just yet."

Not that Jordan was the jealous type, but Alec thought he'd probably be relieved all the same if he ever found out exactly how not interested Alec was. "So what did you want me for?"

"I just had a talk with Jace," Maia informed him. "He asked me -"

Alec sighed, his thoughts immediately going to the worst. "Is he in the nurse's office?"

She laughed. "No, but I'm flattered that that's the conclusion you came to." It was reasonable enough. There was no love lost between her and Jace. Jace had a habit of speaking before thinking and offending everyone within a 20 yard radius, and Maia was a tough-as-nails, take-no-shit kind of person. It wouldn't be the first time she had hit Jace. "I was just wondering why he asked me about the band you and I went to see on Friday."

_Shit_.

Alec's brain went into overdrive trying to think of how he could explain it. The way he saw it, he had three options. Number one: He could tell her truth. Tell her that he wasn't as straight as he liked people to think he was and that he'd been on a date and wasn't ready to tell his family yet. Maia wouldn't tell anyone, he knew she could be discrete. And she was one of the few people he knew would take it well. Number two: He could tell her _most_ of the truth. Say that there a girl he was seeing but didn't want his siblings to scare off or something along those lines. That could work. Number three: He could try to convince her that they really had gone and seen a band on Friday and she must have forgotten.

He didn't have high hopes for number three.

"What did you tell him?" Alec hadn't actually meant to say that, but it was a good point. If Jace knew he'd lied then he would have to do damage control.

"I told him that they were pretty good." Huh? "My friend Simon's band actually did have a gig in Brooklyn on Friday so I just told him whatever name they're using now. Then I told him to get out of my way because I had much better things to do than talk to his ugly mug."

Now he was just confused. "But you-"

"Lied? Yes. Mostly because I hate Jace, but also because I like you," Maia told him, still horribly blasé. They stopped in front of her locker and she took the books from his hands to put inside. Then she looked at him expectantly and Alec realized she was still waiting for an answer.

He didn't know what he was planning on saying but his mouth was already moving. "Look, Maia, I appreciate what you did and I'm sorry I got you involved, but I didn't know what else to tell Jace. I don't really know what to tell you."

Maia shrugged. "That's fine. If you have to lie about it then I don't really want to know. But next time if you're going to use me as a cover, give me a heads up, alright?"

Alec sighed for a second time, but this time was in relief. "Thanks," he said. For not prying and just letting it be, he added mentally. He would have said it aloud, but he knew Maia got it without him saying it.

"No problem." Then she smiled in way that vaguely reminded him of Isabelle when she wanted something. "But if you _really_ want to make it up to me..."

"I knew there was going to be a catch," he muttered.

Laughing, she continued. "You can help me practice for basketball tryouts."

He frowned, but not because of what she wanted. He was just curious. "Why do you need my help? You made varsity last year as a sophomore."

"Yeah, and I spent eighty percent of the season on the bench. Just a few games of one on one. You played last year and were pretty good. You're probably as good as the other girls on varsity."

"Should I be offended?"

Maia hit his arm. "Don't be sexist, you jerk, there are plenty of good female basketball players. Better than your scrawny ass. So what do you say?"

It was better than helping her buy Jordan's birthday present - they had already gone through that fiasco last year. At least this way he would probably enjoy himself. "Sure. Just text me whenever." And it was definitely worth it if it meant she was willing to lie to Jace for him.

"Cool. See you, Lightwood!"

Despite how well it had actually ended, knowing that Jace had doubted his excuse enough to talk to Maia made him nervous and all the more convinced that he had to keep it a secret.

Tuesday had started out normal enough. Annoying alarm clock, waking up, going to school. Only to realize he couldn't pay attention in any of his classes because he was checking his new (because he'd killed the old one) phone every ten seconds, thinking, "Did he call? Did he text? Why would he when he told me to call? Should I even call if I already know that any relationship he had would be doomed from the start?"

Maybe that was a little melodramatic, but look who he had for a sister.

Then he remembered he had soccer practice, and he cheered up a little. Surely it would take his mind off things for a little while.

Yeah right.

He supposed he should be grateful they even had a field at all. After all, this was New York, city of skyscrapers and indoor sports. But he wasn't exactly feeling grateful as he started on what felt like his millionth suicide. And even when he felt like his arms were going to fall off from the sheer number of push ups they were being forced to do, all he could think was "What if he calls when I'm at practice? Do I call him back or take that as a sign?"

Then - because why not make his bad day worse? - some cocky sophomore had to mouth off to the coach. And since their coach was of the "punish all for the acts of one" philosophy, by the end of practice Alec was half convinced he was going to throw up. And still, the first thing he did was check his phone.

When Alec was thirteen, he'd had his fortune told by a transvestite in a turban. He was told he would "soon come into great wealth" but that his mind would be "lost to the stubborn clutches of insanity." Later he realized he'd basically been conned out of thirty bucks, but maybe the guy had a point.

After _that_ terrifying thought, he took a few deep breaths and settled in to do his homework.

Then there were two quiet knocks on his door. "It's me. Can I come in?" No clarification was needed; Alec would have been able to pick his sister's voice out of the Rockefeller Center's crowd at Christmastime. What was unusual was her knocking. He was used to her coming and going unannounced, so why the sudden change?

"Sure." She opened the door. She was in what she referred to as her 'home clothes', meaning she was wearing a shirt that either his or Jace's and pajama shorts. It was probably Jace's. Alec didn't think he owned a Metallica t-shirt. "What do you need, Izzy?"

"I just want to talk. Do you have a minute?"

He froze, wary of what she wanted to talk to about. "Now's not really a good time, I'm-"

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, I'm not going to interrogate you," she said, joining him on his bed. She glanced over the textbook in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"Anatomy homework."

Normally on days when he had nothing to do, he'd retreat to the library. It was decent sized, with cushiony armchairs and elegant mahogany shelves, but smaller than the living room it was connected to. That was usually where Jace was, tinkering away at the baby grand piano while Alec read. Sometimes Max would join them, following him into the library and breaking the silence every so often when he asked what a particular word meant. Other times he'd gravitate toward Jace, who was always more than happy to show him the keys for Old McDonald.

But Alec didn't particularly want to be around Jace just then, and even if he did he was out of luck because he'd taken Max to the batting cages.

"Why is your hair wet?"

"Shower," he replied shortly.

She hummed lightly and folded her legs beneath her. It wasn't like her to tiptoe around a subject, but he figured she'd talk when she wanted to.

He went back to reading the passage. He scribbled a note on the paper when he found what he was looking for. He just had one more question to answer. _Using your understanding of ion movement in response to electrochemical gradients, explain why Na+_ -

"Be honest with me for a minute," Isabelle demanded suddenly. "Were you on a date Friday?"

Alec startled at the impromptu question, but he recovered quickly. He thought about saying no and hoping she'd leave it alone, but then decided there wasn't any harm in telling her that much. He sighed heavily. "Yes."

She didn't react like he'd prepared himself for. There was no girlish squealing or wide grin or the side-hug-and-kiss-on-the-cheek combination she was so prone to. She tilted her head to the side, like she was scrutinizing him, then nodded. "It wasn't with a girl, was it?"

"What?" If he'd been drinking anything he would have spit it out. He forced himself to laugh. "What are you talking about, Izzy?"

She rolled her eyes again, but it was more dramatic. "Come on, Alec. You freak out when a guy gets too close, you used to be terrified of even changing in the locker rooms, and you've never had a girlfriend. I can count on two fingers the number of girls you're comfortable around, not including me. Maia, who - I hate to say it - is the least nosy person I know and couldn't give less of a shit who you like, and Aline, who you've known pretty much since you were born."

He couldn't look at her anymore. A deep feeling of shame rose up inside him. He'd always known he could tell Isabelle anything - anything but this. He felt like he was going to puke. Or just suddenly stop breathing and pass out. He was kind of hoping for the latter.

He hadn't even realized he was nearly hyperventilating until his sister's thin arms were around him and she was saying all the right things. "Alec, you know I love you. That's not going to change."

"Damn it," he swore softly. "I thought I was good at hiding it."

"Trust me, you are." She let go of him but stayed sitting close enough for their shoulders to brush. "I know you all think I'm self-absorbed, but I can be observant when I want to."

"I don't think you're self absorbed," he murmured. She might not show it very often, but Isabelle was one of the most caring people he knew. She just limited the number of people she cared about.

She gave him a gentle smile, the kind she reserved for her brothers only. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do. I don't care if you come out tomorrow or fifteen years from now. I'm gonna support you no matter what, and if you were half as smart as your SAT scores make you out to be you would know that."

He laughed in spite of it all, quietly and unevenly, but he laughed.

"Does anyone else know? Jace?"

He shook his head, almost frantic. "No, god no. Just you - and Aline. She figured it out too." Maybe because she'd seen a bit of him reflected in herself, he pondered. But he couldn't tell Isabelle that. Understanding or not, it wasn't his secret to tell.

"Why not Jace?" She asked in bemusement. "You guys are best friends - brothers, really."

He struggled to explain. "He...I just can't, Iz. Don't ask me to explain, please." Who was to say that Jace would even understand in the first place? And what would Izzy think if she found out he used to have a crush on him? Adopted or not, it still wasn't right, in so many ways.

He never even realized he'd started thinking about Jace in the past tense.

Isabelle didn't looked pleased about it, but in his opinion, she should just be glad he wasn't running away and locking himself in the bathroom to have a mental breakdown. Which was still an option, by the way. "Fine. It's your choice," she said. Then, without warning, she _beamed_. Oh God. "So who was it?"

"Who was who?"

She gave him the same look she always did whenever she thought he was being especially stupid. "Your date, you idiot. Was it someone from school?"

Well if she accepted him being gay, then telling her the next part couldn't be that bad, could it?

"No, it wasn't anyone from school."

"Is it someone I know?" She was downright excited. It was kind of unnerving.

"Um, yes, I suppose it is." Spending the night at his apartment qualified as knowing someone, didn't it?

"Is it one of my exes?"

"God I hope not." That particular mental image had him tempted to rinse his brain with highly concentrated bleach. And besides, he really didn't want to be the guy who stole his little sister's boyfriends.

"Would you just tell me?" She said in exasperation. "This is like pulling teeth."

How exactly was one supposed to delicately phrase _I went out with the glitter addict whose place you crashed at when you were outrageously drunk, oh and by the way he's seven years older than me, no big deal_. "Do you remember Magnus Bane?" There. That was good. A nice, slow start, then he'd eventually explain -

"Oh my god." Apparently Isabelle caught on very fast. Her jaw dropped and she was staring at him with wide, dark eyes. "Oh my god," she repeated.

"Izzy-"

"Oh my god!" She looked at him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen. "So technically, I can take credit for this, because without me you wouldn't have ever met him."

He rolled his eyes. Of course that would be her train of thought. "_Technically_," he mimicked, "I did meet him once before."

"Really?" Him bursting her bubble didn't seem to have any effect on her mood.

He nodded. "I, well, I kind of spilled his coffee and called him an asshole."

"Good for you." She laughed brightly. "At least now I'll finally have someone to talk about boys with."

"Izzy, the only reason you should ever talk about boys with me is if you want me to kill one," he said, grimacing.

She shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

* * *

><p>Alec had started and finished Magnus's book, Zugzwang, in one sitting. As soon as he got home on Friday. And during the past few days, he had read it again, just to be sure he hadn't missed anything. Which was more than he'd ever done for school.<p>

It was...different. Good different, but not what he'd been expecting after from someone like Magnus. Someone who was so openly confident and charming and social. He would have sooner guessed Stephen King or Robert Ludlum for its author. It was dark. From beginning to end the whole thing was just one tragedy after another for the main character.

Reading it, Alec's thought process went something like: "Shit, did that really just happen? Shit, did _that_ really just happen?" to "No, that can't happen. Oh apparently it can." to "Jesus Christ." to "My copy has to be missing ten or so pages because it can't end there, and if it does then the author is a sadist."

The book had started with a crime, a horrible "cover your eyes if you're under 15" scene. Nick, the narrator, was blamed for it. By everyone from the police to the mob. And after running and hiding and a dozen other catastrophes and crimes (including his wife, Anna, dying), the book ended with him jumping off a building to commit suicide.

Alec had always kind of liked tragic endings in some inexplicable, slightly-sadistic way. He thought they were more realistic than happy endings. He supposed that said something about him and his outlook on life: cynical and pessimistic. But then again, the book said a lot about Magnus too.

After he'd finished, he'd quickly Googled the pseudonym on the cover and made a note to buy the other two books Magnus had written. But when that was done, and he was idly flipping back through the pages, he wondered what exactly it revealed about Magnus.

There was more to him than just what he saw on Friday, that much was certain. But what really struck Alec while he was reading was the emotion behind the words. The level of detail and _vividnes_s in the writing, the kind that you couldn't fake just by taking some composition classes. To be able to convey that kind of emotion - that kind of rage and misery and panic and terror - you'd have to feel those things yourself first.

Alec was not inept by any means. He considered himself to be rather intelligent and loathed whenever anyone suggested otherwise - because what else did he have going for him? But for the life of him, he simply could not understand Magnus Bane.

He'd always been told he was good at reading people, but it was like Magnus was written in an entirely different language, like Latin or some other dead and long-forgotten tongue that never should have been forgotten in the first place, especially if someone as incredible and mesmerizing as Magnus was written in it.

_God_, if he was this confused over a guy after one date, what else did that say about him?

The bottom line was that it was Wednesday, and even taking into account Jace's possibly-fake 3 Day Rule, that was still longer than it should have taken him to call Magnus. But it was either this or Spanish homework, so he hit the call button before he could chicken out again.

Someone picked up, and before he could even say hello Magnus was talking. "See, why don't I believe that it took you five days to finish the book?"

Alec blinked, then shook his head to clear his mind. "Because you're smart?" He offered.

"Ah, flattery will get you _everywhere_, Alexander." Alec didn't usually like his full name, but the way Magnus said it made him shiver. It rolled off his tongue easily, effortlessly, and when said with that much affection, afflicted with his slight accent, it sounded perfect. "So are you just calling to hear my dulcet tones or do you have an ulterior motive?"

Alec forgot how to speak for a moment. It was like every word the guy said just oozed charisma.

"I want to see you again." He'd been planning on saying it a little less bluntly, but at least he got his point across.

"I think that can be arranged." He thought he could hear a smile in the other man's voice. "What are you doing right now?"

"Um, nothing in particular."

"Great. Come on over."

The call ended. No goodbye, no waiting for a response. Just 'come on over.' Alec stared at his phone for another minute or so, then thought _screw it_. He ran to Izzy's room.

He knocked and opened the door in the same second, the way everyone in their house did. "I need a favor." It was best to just cut to the chase with Izzy.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "You have my attention," she said with a smile that made him think she was laughing at him on the inside.

"I'm going over to Magnus's and -"

"And you need me to cover for you with Mom and Dad if they ask any questions, blah blah blah, I'll text you what I come up with, I'm the best sister ever I know, adios, don't let the door hit you on the way out," she said all in one breath.

"That's it?" He was confused. There was usually more to this favor thing. Bribery and/or blackmail, most often. Not that he was arguing. He needed this from her. He could probably dye his hair blonde and his parents wouldn't notice for at least a month, but they had a penchant for asking difficult questions at the worst possible time. Like when Jace had convinced him to ditch school and drive upstate to see a concert and Maryse had called just as the band was about to come on stage.

"That's it." She nodded. "Think of this as paying you back for all the times you brought me Gatorade and toast when I was sick or hungover. But if it makes you feel better, you can buy me something really nice for Christmas."

Whatever. He would take it. He would just buy her a Marc Jacobs perfume or something to say thank you.

* * *

><p>Magnus had been sleeping when his phone rang. While at first he'd been annoyed at having his sleep disturbed, he quickly decided that hearing Alec's voice was quite possibly the best way to wake up.<p>

After the call ended, he'd nearly dozed off again, but then he realized he had _maybe_ half an hour to get ready and tripped over his feet scrambling out of bed. In the end, he simply threw on jeans and a blue and gray flannel he left unbuttoned over a black shirt. He chose to forgo styling his hair or putting on makeup, because things like brushing his teeth were more important than eyeliner.

Before he knew it, he was pushing Çhairman Meow out of his way with his foot and opening the door to let Alexander in. He watched, curious, as his blue eyes widened momentarily, flickering up and down Magnus's form.

"Hi," Magnus said, a little dumbly but not caring. He'd never admit it out loud, but as the self-appointed week he'd given Alec to call ticked by, he became genuinely worried he wouldn't. It was why he had invited him over so suddenly.

"Hi," Alec said, his voice slightly breathy. He was probably unaware of the almost-smile he was sporting, but Magnus definitely wasn't.

Magnus closed the door behind him, and he had just turned around when suddenly he was being kissed. His first instinct was to push the other person away, like he did when he was at a party and someone took it upon themselves to make their intentions clear. He had about half a second to think: _Oh, hmm, this is nice, really nice actually, I should keep doing this_. Then about five times that to realize who he was kissing, identifying him more by memory of their last kiss than logic.

Then Alec was pulling away, pink coloring his cheeks and eyes purposely focused on the floor. "Sorry."

Magnus blinked. He was _apologizing _for kissing him? He nearly laughed, but one look at Alec had him rethinking. Magnus needed to tread lightly, and that meant not accidentally insulting him or making him uncomfortable. "Don't be," he said, smiling.

Alec looked up - Magnus supposed he figured out he was much nicer to look at than the ground. "I didn't mean to do that," he tried to explain. "I mean, I did, but I wasn't planning it or anything. It's just that you look good."

Magnus bit his lip trying to suppress his grin. "Thank you?"

Apparently Alec mistook his amusement for offense. "Of course, you always look good - probably, I wouldn't really know - but like this it's less...intimidating."

"Intimidating," Magnus repeated.

Alec nodded, looking like he'd rather jump out the window.

Magnus laughed, leaning forward to kiss Alec chastely. "You're cute," he said decidedly. Maybe he'd start wearing his hair down more often if this was the kind of reaction he got from Alec. The more pessimistic part of his brain reminded him that there was no guarantee Alec would be around to witness it. "I started some coffee, I just woke up and need the caffeine. You want some?"

"It's almost four pm."

"Your point?" Magnus said, his expression practically daring Alec to say something about his odd hours.

"Nothing." Alec grinned a little to himself, and Magnus counted it as a victory - even if he wasn't sure what the game was. "Coffee sounds good."

"Great. You can take a seat wherever while I -" Magnus barely caught a glimpse of something small and white darting between their legs before Alec was falling. Magnus reached out to steady him, but unfortunately Alec's hand had already found his shoulder and he was just off balance enough that it brought him and his head down on the hardwood floors with a _thud_.

Magnus kept his eyes shut a moment longer, rubbing his head. "Ow." He propped himself up on his elbows. Alec was already apologizing profusely. "Well that's got to be the first time my date has ever given me a concussion," he mused.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

"Was taken down by a kitten the size of a cellphone?" Two pairs of eyes shot to the animal at the feet, blinking innocently. Alec opened his mouth, maybe to protest, but Magnus cut him off. "Look, it's fine, honestly." He found it more funny than anything else. "If you want, I can tell you about the time I actually got a concussion trying to do a backflip off my bed, but it's really not that interesting." And yeah, maybe that was less than two years ago. "Just go sit down and I'll bring you some coffee."

Magnus pushed himself off the floor and Alec did the same. Magnus nudged Chairman Meow with his foot. "You, kitty, play nice. No more attacking my guests or I'll lock you in the bathroom, capiche?" He blinked again, so Magnus took that as an agreement.

He couldn't have been gone more than two minutes, but by the time he got back his cat was curled up and purring in Alec's lap. It took two months for Chairman to stop biting his ankles but five minutes with Alec and he's _purring_? Magnus set down his coffee mug and shoved Alec's into his hands. Then he grabbed his cat and looked him in the eyes.

"When I said play nice, I didn't mean make him your bed. Now shoo." Magnus unceremoniously dropped him, and he took off running for the bedroom. He was probably going to find a fur ball in his shoe later, but oh well. He dropped onto the couch beside Alec, who, incidentally, was looking at him like he was insane. Magnus got that look a lot.

"So did you get a new phone?" Yeah, maybe he was teasing Alec a little. It couldn't be helped.

"What? Oh, yeah." There was that blush again. "Thank God for extended warranties."

Magnus chuckled; he could relate. The number of times he'd dropped his phone in a toilet or lost it at a party was ridiculous. "Can I see it?"

"Sure?"

Alec handed him his phone. He had a new text from _Izzy :)_, but Magnus ignored that in favor of flicking the little switch on the side. "There," he declared. "Now it's on silent."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Hilarious."

"I thought so," he said with a grin.

Alec shifted on the couch, not like he was moving away from him but more like he was just fidgeting. A look of confusion furrowed his brow, and he reached between his leg and the cushion. "Why do you have a pack of playing cards in your sofa?" He asked, holding the deck for him to see.

If he was being honest, there was probably weirder things than that in his couch. He had a bad habit of dropping things behind furniture or shoving it under the bed and calling it cleaning. "Oh that." He laughed lightly. "My friend Ragnor tried to teach me a couple magic tricks but I got bored and gave up."

"Oh, okay." Alec went to set the cards on the table when Magnus had an idea.

"You wanna play?"

"What, poker?" Alec looked a little surprised but not unwilling, which was always good.

"No," he said, "I can already tell you're a terrible liar. It wouldn't be any fun. Unless you want to play strip poker?" He joked. Joking, because he wasn't going to screw this up by pulling the guy into bed the first chance he got.

Alec blushed but otherwise ignored his comment.

"Something where we're evenly matched, then? Blackjack?" He suggested.

Alec shook his head, smiling slightly to himself. "Then it wouldn't be fair to you." At Magnus's look of bemusement, he added, "I taught myself to count cards. Even with six or more decks." Magnus laughed again. That was the last thing he was expecting. Alec suddenly blurted, "What about high card?"

"Ooh, a game of chance. I like it." And he did. "What are the stakes?"

"Not money," Alec said quickly. For some reason he looked uncomfortable, and Magnus wondered if it was an issue for him. He was pretty well off, but he knew not everyone was as fortunate. He wasn't about to argue though. He had better thing to waste money on, like a new pair of jeans or that jacket he saw the other day. "And nothing...physical."

It took Magnus a moment to comprehend, but when he did he kind of wanted to give him a hug. He was just so...well awkward wasn't the right word. Straightforward, maybe. Endearing, definitely. But instead of voicing this he just winked and teased, "Wouldn't dream of it, pretty boy."

Alec just rolled his eyes, already growing used to his teasing.

Then something else came to mind, but he was hesitant to say it. "How about information?" He was a little uneasy with it himself, but he tried telling himself that this was what dating was about: getting to know the other person. And he wanted to know more about Alec, even if it meant sharing parts of himself. At least this was better than Twenty Questions.

Alec shrugged, perfectly at ease. And why wouldn't he be? He doubted Alec had anything to hide. "Sure," he agreed. He turned to face Magnus, then took the cards out of the pack, shuffling and cutting the deck in two easy moves.

Magnus raised an eyebrow, still looking at the cards. "You play often?"

"Jace and I may or may not have a gambling problem."

Magnus glanced up, a little concerned, only to realize he was joking and laugh. It was good to know he had a sense of humor after all, even if it was drier and more deadpan than Magnus's own sarcastic tendencies and endless teasing.

Alec gave him half the deck, then paused. "You really want to play some card game?"

"I like winning at stuff," he said simply. "But it's your choice. I can always pin you against the couch and ravish you, if you'd prefer." Yeah, maybe he also liked making certain comments just to get a reaction.

Alec made a noise that sounded vaguely like a cat being strangled. "Just play," he choked out. Then he flipped over a card. Two of spades.

Magnus grinned and flipped over his own. Four of diamonds. "What's your favorite color?"

"Really? That's your question?" It was a fair point.

"I'm trying to be nice and ease you into the game. You should be thanking me," he said haughtily. "But if you say black, I'm kicking you out."

Alec hesitated, and Magnus guessed he'd been about to say just that. Then he smirked. "Onyx?"

"There is a fine line between being witty and being a smart ass and you, my dear, seemed to have crossed it."

Alec laughed, and it was then that Magnus realized just how little he did so. He had an addicting laugh. It was soft but deep, more smile than sound. It wasn't something that would catch your attention unless you were listening for it. It was the complete opposite of Magnus, who laughed carelessly and with his whole body.

"Fine," Alec said, pulling him out of his musings. "Red, I guess."

His was purple, but he could live with that.

Alec flipped over another card, a six of hearts, and he was looking a little more confident until Magnus showed a nine of the same suit. "What's your name?"

"You know my name," Alec said slowly, like he was talking to a child he wasn't sure would understand.

"Your full name, I mean. Embarrassing middle name and all." Magnus didn't have a middle name to give, but he had heard some pretty awful ones over the years.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood." Magnus asked himself why the name Lightwood sounded so familiar.

Three more questions went by, all in Magnus's favor, until Alec finally managed to beat him. He bit his lip, thinking carefully about his question. Magnus wondered if he thought out everything he said. So far it seemed like it. "What's with the accent?" He asked.

Magnus frowned. Damn it. "I grew up just outside of London," he replied shortly. He didn't mention anything about moving here for college and staying. Instead he shifted the focus off his curt answer, and if Alec noticed he didn't say anything. "The first time I met Camille she practically died laughing because of how British I was, apparently." It had taken him a while to get out of the habit of using certain slang. Half the time no one understood him.

Alec's blue eyes narrowed in thought, but eventually he just nodded and chuckled. "I'm surprised you didn't make tea," he said, gesturing to their coffee.

"Ugh. You mean that watery leaf sludge that has somehow become a national treasure? No thanks. That's half the reason I moved here," he said, only half joking. He really didn't like tea.

"What's the other half?"

Damn it. "The Jolly Ranchers, of course." That was a lie, obviously, but those things _were_ pretty good.

Alec rolled his eyes and flipped over another card. Magnus nearly sighed in relief and did the same.

They played another five rounds, and Magnus was starting to wonder if some sort of higher power on his side that day so far he'd only had to answer the one. At least, until he put down a five and Alec an eight.

This time he didn't seem to think about his question as much. He still asked in in the same blunt manner though, which Magnus kind of liked. "What's with all the pet names?"

This one was easier to answer. But instead he shot back with his own question. "Does it bother you?"

"No, not really," Alec said. "I get the feeling you couldn't stop even if you wanted to."

Magnus chuckled under his breath. "You might be right. I'm afraid it stems from an unfortunate habit of forgetting names. I've come to learn that people are infinitely less offended if you call them something ridiculous like pumpkin or snuggle bear instead of what's-your-face." Eventually he just started using them with almost everyone.

Alec laughed, like he'd been hoping he would. He slapped down a king, and his face took on this adorably pleased expression. "Finally," he muttered.

Magnus turned over an ace.

"That's it," Alec said without warning. "This game is rigged. You're cheating somehow."

"Cheating? Me? Never. I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known," he quipped.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald."

"Hmm?"

"That quote," he clarified. "It's from the Great Gatsby."

Magnus was impressed, if a little amused. "I see mine isn't the only great literature you've read."

"Have I mentioned how much I admire your modesty?" Alec said in such a dry tone that Magnus had to laugh.

"Ah, well point to you for getting the reference. I have a friend that teaches English at Columbia and even he doesn't get half the ones I use." In fact, Will just got increasingly annoyed with him for it.

"Can I use my point to reshuffle the cards?" Alec grumbled.

"No way, I'm winning." He hadn't been lying when he said he liked winning. Maybe a little more than was healthy.

"You're not winning," Alec protested. "You're just...doing better than me."

"Are you a sore loser?" He asked, suddenly gleeful. Between losing at rock-paper-scissors and now this, it sure looked like it. The thought was kind of cute.

"No."

"Really? You sound like it."

"I am _not_ a sore loser."

"But you are a loser," he remarked, enjoying Alec's put-out expression.

He sighed helplessly. "You're impossible."

"Thank you," he chirped.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"What? Didn't you say ' Magnus, you're so talented and charming and _a winner_'?"

Alec threw his hands up in defeat. "Forget this, we're playing blackjack."

But despite his frustrated words, he flipped over another card and they continued playing. Eventually the cards were forgotten in favor of just talking, and then their words, in favor of each other's lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, aren't they cute? You know what to do. Leave a review telling me what you diddidn't like about the chapter so I can improve. And I know some of you said you liked the longer chapters, but was this one TOO long? Let me know.**

**Also, the full Gatsby quote is "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."**

**Update 3/15: Finally edited this (I was so late with updating that I published it right away without re-reading it). If you never any mistakes feel free to tell me so I can fix it.**


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